from this time, until the day of Christ's crucifixion, when she emerges from the shadows, and stands out in sight of all on Calvary, the Mother of the Crucified: "Now there STOOD by the Cross of Jesus His Mother," writes John. That "stood" is a very eloquent word here, and says more for Mary than volumes of dissertations on her fidelity and fortitude. She did not faint, she did not fail-she stood; though of the men, His disciples, when His enemies closed about Him, it is written. "Then, all these leaving Him, fled away." Friend, did you ever watch at the death bed of an only child, an only son? You had all possible comfort for the dying one. The room was hushed; sympathizing friends were beside you, or within call. If a word were spoken, it was to cheer the dying, to comfort you. And yet, mother, you suffered more in the dying of your son, than you will ever suffer in your own supreme hour. Was not his every moan, his every convulsive sigh, a sword in your heart? Would you not have given your life itself to ease his pain? But what were your son's sufferings-speaking only in the natural order to those of Christ's, dying a malefactor's death, in the midst of scoffers and mockers, His thirst aggravated by the ingenious torture of the vinegar and gall, His failing sight confronted by the wrathful faces of His foes? And what were your tortures to His Mother's? Think you that every stroke of the hammer that nailed Him to the Cross was not felt with actual physical pain in His Mother's heart? Think you, she would not gladly, could it have been, have given her own body to the scourges and her own hands to the nails? We came once on a vivid description of the crucifixion and death of a number of captives on a height overlooking the City of Carthage, in the time of the Punic wars; and we doubt if even a strong woman could read it without feeling a reflection of the pain. But what must it be to witness a crucifixion? To stand for three long hours near enough to hear the rending of muscles and flesh, as the weight of the body swayed, it now this way, now that, on the three nails that held it to the Cross. And the witness was a widowed Mother; and the Victim, her only Son. We praise, and rightly, the courage of poor Rizpah, the mother of the sons of Saul, who watched their dead bodies as they hung on the crosses, driving away the beasts and the birds, till David heard the piteous story, and gave them sepulchre. But was it not braver to watch by the dying, encompassed by enemies fiercer than ravening wolves or vultures? Ah, but there was another torture transcending all these; transcending all other possible human experience. Through contact with the Divine, she had caught a reflection of the Divine passion, not for a nation, but for a world. Mary knew why her Son was dying, and she knew that for many His death would be in vain. Christ on the Cross gave His Mother to the keeping of His best-loved disciple, John, who from that hour, as he himselt tells us, took her to his own. And this is the Gospels' last word of Mary, Withal, it is urged against us Catholics that there is not enough made of Mary in the Sacred Scriptures to warrant the veneration we pay her. We refer to those who receive the Bible as do all the Christian sects, however otherwise differing as the inspired word of God. To those who repudiate the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New, all that we have said, from whatever source drawn, is but a pretty legend, or allegory, or at best a history resting on no more stable foundation than that which underlies the ancient histories of Greece and Rome. Yet, for these also it may not be without interest to hear just what the old historic Church believes about the most widely and tenderly revered of women, and how it honors her. We base our devotion to the Blessed Virgin on the fact plamy set forth in the Bible that she is the Mother of God Incantate, Jesus Christ, the Second Ferson of the Blessed Trity. Granting her this supreme honor, all diffolites about herr tot 16.91: or prerogatives should cease for these are but preparatory for or consequent on, her Divine Maternity. It troubles w 19 that the Bible makes no forma. statement attesting Mary: Immodat Conception, her perpetua. Virginity per Stenung situsstions bor Assumption into Heaven per her intercessory power wit: 7 king chooses & maluer 12. d not need, in addition te bere qON an official bulletit t vich she has bee: false Li- comer hone De PA, all that 4. Lu It may be bugetier Gus liv. 2. cier.), THE BLESSED AMONG WOMEN. (Continued.) BY KATHARINE E. CONWAY. THE tradition of the early Christian Church gives us this description of Mary's appearance when she had attained marriageable age, and was on the point of leaving the Temple. It is of artistic interest, for it served as a type to the limners and glassworkers of the middle ages. "Her stature was middle-sized. Her complexion was tinged like wheat color; her hair light; her eyes piercing, the eye-ball yellowish and something of the color of an olive; her eye-brows beautiful and deep-tinged, and very much arched; her nose long; her lips vermilion, from which came forth words full of suavity. Her face was neither round nor long, but a little oval; her hands and fingers were long. She was averse to all ostentation, simple in her manners, doing nothing to conto the beauty of her countenance, nor showing any haughtiness, but acting always with the greatest humility." It is surprising that sacred art, which has dealt so minutely with other portions of Mary's life, has not made more of the poetic and suggestive legends of the girlhood in the Temple. Jehan Trupin, in the 16th century decorated the Cathedral at Amiens with several panels representing the Presentation, Mary at work, Mary at study, and the prayer of Mary. Paul of Verona painted an exquisite Presentation, now in the Venetian Museum, and in the Convent of the Trinita dei Monti, in Rome, there is a modern but most interesting fresco of Mary's cloistered girlhood, known as Mater Admirabilis. Many beautiful traditions cluster around the marriage of Mary, but these are well known, being long favorite themes of poet and painter. Mary being now an orphan, the High Priest gave her in marriage to a just man of middle age, Joseph, who, though also of the royal race of David, was poor, and earned his bread at the trade of a carpenter. Here the Gospel of St. Luke takes up the story of Mary's life, and shows us that Joseph respected his young wife's vow, for Gabriel, we are told, was sent to an espoused VIRIt is clear also, as St. Augustine points out, from the ques GIN. |