Chapter 52: For the Festival of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

Exercises for celebrating this Feast devoutly — How powerfully the Blessed Virgin protects those who invoke her ; and how we may supply for our negligences in her service.

ON the glorious Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin,'" St. Gertrude, having said as many Ave Marias as she had remained days in her mother's womb, offered them to her devoutly, and inquired what merit they would have who performed a like devotion. This benign Virgin replied : " They will merit a special share in the joys which. I possess in heaven, which are continually renewed, and in the virtues with which tlie ever-blessed and glorious Trinity adorns me."

At the Antiphon Ave decus, she beheld the heavens opening, while the angels descended and placed a magnifi cent throne in the centre of the choir, whereon the Queen of Glory was seated, and manifested how lovingly she received the prayers and devotion of the religious on this Festival. The angels stood round this throne, attending the Mother of their God with the greatest respect and joy. The Saint also saw an angel standing by each of the religious, with a branch in his hand ; and this branch pro duced different kinds of fruit and flowers, according to the devotion of the sister who was thus attended. At the conclusion of the Office, the angels brought these branches to the Blessed Virgin to adorn her throne. Then Gertrude exclaimed : " Alas, kind Mother ! I do not deserve to be thus united with the choirs of the blessed." She replied : "Your good-will suffices ; and the devout intention which you had at Vespers, of offering your prayers through the sweet Heart of my Son, in my honour, far exceeds any corporal work ; to assure you of this, I will present your branch of fruit and flowers to the adorable Trinity, as an oblation of the highest merit."

At Matins she beheld how the angels gathered the flowers and fruit of the different intentions of the religious, and presented them to the Virgin Mother. The flowers appeared more brilliant and beautiful in proportion to the earnestness of each ; and the sweetness of the fruit corres ponded with the purity and fervour of their devotion.

At the Gloria Patri of the fourth Response, as St. Gertrude praised the ineffable power of the Father, the incomprehensible wisdom of the Son, and the marvellous benignity of the Holy Ghost, in having given us a creature so full of grace to further our salvation, the Blessed Virgin stood before the Blessed Trinity, praying that the Divine Omnipotence, Wisdom, and Goodness would bestow as much grace on St. Gertrude as it was possible for any creature to receive ; and the Blessed Trinity poured forth an abundant benediction of grace upon her soul, which watered it like a gentle rain.

Then St. Gertrude chanted the Antiphon Quam pulchra es, in the person of the Son of God, in honour of PI is Father. This was accepted with great love by our Lord, who said to her : " I will reward you at a fitting time, according to My royal munificence, for the honour you have paid to My beloved Mother." *

At the Antiphon Adesl, when the words Ipsa intercedat pro peccatis nostris were chanted, she saw the Blessed Virgin with a parchment in her hand, on which the words, "She will intercede," were written in letters of gold ; and this she presented to her Son by the ministry of angels. He replied lovingly : " I give thee full power, by My omnipotence, to be propitious to all who invoke thy aid, in whatever manner is most pleasing to thee."

As the Sequence Ave prceclara t was chanted at Mass? at the words Ora Virgo nos, the Blessed Virgin turned towards her Son, and prayed for the community witli her hands clasped. Then our Lord turned towards them, and blessed them with the sign of the cross, to prepare them to receive the adorable Sacrament of His Body and Blood.

At the words Audi nos, the Blessed Virgin appeared t We have not been able to verify this Sequence.

seated on a high throne with her Divine Son ; and St. Gertrude addressed her thus; " Why do you not pray for us, O Mother of Mercy T' She replied : " I speak for you to my Beloved, heart to heart." Then, when the same words were repeated again, the Virgin extended her royal hands over the convent, as if uniting herself to their desires, and praying as one with them to her Divine Son ; and this royal Son, at the following verse, Salve nos, Jesu ; turning towards the community, said to them : " I am ready to accomplish all your desires."

Then, as St. Gertrude reflected on the approaching Festival, and ardently desired that her heart might be prepared to solemnise it, she said to the Mother of God : " Since the glory of your Assumption moves the souls of those who meditate on it so deeply, I desire much to know what the angels think of the Feast of your Nativity in heaven, that our devotion may be increased thereby on earth." The Blessed Virgin replied : " The angels com memorate the ineffable joys which I experienced while in the womb of my mother when they offer me their homage with the deepest reverence. The archangels also contem plate in the mirror of the Blessed Trinity the eminent favours and graces which God bestowed on me above all creatures, and minister to me also ; while all the heavenly orders unite in serving and assisting me for the glory of God; and for this they are now recompensed with special joys."

At Compline, as the Salve Eegina was chanted, St.

Gertrude grieved before God that she had never served His Mother with the veneration, due to her ; and she offered this Antiphon, through the Heart of Jesus, to supply for her defects ; and our Lord supplied for her de ficiencies by little tubes of gold, which passed from His Heart to the heart of His Virgin Mother, and through •which He poured forth on her the tenderness of His filial affection. We may also supply for our negligences by the following prayer, or any similar one : —

" 0 sweetest Jesus, I beseech Thee, by the love which caused Thee to take flesh in the bosom of this most pure Virgin, that Thou wouldst supply for our defects in the service and honour of this most benign Mother, who is ever ready to assist us, with maternal tenderness, in all our necessities. Offer her, O sweetest Jesus, the superabundant beatitude of Thy sweetest Heart ; show her Thy Divine predilection, which chose her from all eternity, before all creatures, to be Thy Mother, adorning her with every grace and virtue ; remind her of all the tenderness Thou didst manifest to her when on earth, Thy filial obedience to her in all things, and, above all, Thy care at the hour of Thy Death, when Thou didst forget Thine own anguish to solace hers, and didst provide her with a son ; remind her, also, of the joys and glory of her Assumption, when she was exalted above all the choirs of angels, and consti tuted Queen of heaven and earth. Thus, O good Jesus, do Thou make Thy mother propitious to us, that she may be our advocate and protector in life and in death."

At the words Eia ergo, as St. Gertrude invoked this most benign Mother, she saw her inclining towards her, as

Church. Some authors attribxite it to Hermann Contractus, a Bena> dictine monk of the same date.

if drawn by cords ; by which she understood, that when we invoke her devoutly as our advocate, her maternal tender ness is so moved, that she cannot fail to assist us. At the words Illos tuos misericordes oculos, the Blessed Virgin inclined the eyes of her Son towards the earth, saying : " These are my merciful eyes, which I incline towards all who invoke me devoutly, and from them they obtain the fruit of eternal salvation." Then the Saint was taught by our Lord to salute His Blessed Mother, at least daily, by the words Eia ergo, and Advocata nostra, assuring her that she would obtain great consolation thereby at the hour of her death.

St. Gertrude then offered Our Lady a hundred and fifty Ave Marias, beseeching her to assist her at the hour of her death by her maternal tenderness ; and each word which she repeated appeared like a piece of gold, which our Lord offered to His Mother, who used them for the help and consolation of the Saint at the hour of her death. Thus she knew that when we recommend our end to any saint, the prayers which are offered to them are presented before the tribunal of the Judge, and the Saint to whom we have recommended ourselves is appointed our advocate.