January 31 — Saint Peter Nolasco

Church, whose children they were I But above all, glory be to our Emmanuel, who, on his entrance into this world, thus spoke to his Eternal Father: Sacrifice and oblation thou, wouldst not, neither are tliey 'pleasing to thee — but a Body thou hast fitted unto me. Then, said J, behold I come: that i^ Behold, I come to offer myself as a Sacrifice. The Divine Infant has infused this same spirit of love for mankind, (for whom he so mercifully became the Ransom,) into the hearts of such men as the Saint of to-day : they saw what God had done for man, and they felt it a necessity to go and sacrifice themselves for the redemption of their suffering fellow creatures.

Our Lord rewarded St. Peter Nolasco, by calling him to heaven, at that very hour, wherein, twelve hundred years before, himself had been born in Bethlehem. It was on Christmas Night that the Redeemer of Captives was united to Jesus, the Redeemer of Mankind. Peter's last hymn on earth was the 110th Psalm : and as his faltering voice uttered the words : Be hath sent redemption to his people ; he hath commanded his covenant for ever, his soul took its flight to heaven.

The Church, in fixing a day for the Feast of our Saint, could not of course take the anniversary of his death, which belongs so exclusively to her Jesus; but it was just, that he, who had been honoured with being born to heaven at the very hour which God had chosen for the Birth of his Son upon the earth, should receive the tribute of our festive commemoration on one of the forty days of Christmas :

Let us now learn from the Liturgy the claims of Peter Nolasco to our veneration and love.

1 Pa. xxzlz. 7, 8 : cited by St Paul, Heb. z. 5, and following verses.

504 CHR

Petrus Nolasco, Recaudi prope Carcassonam in Gallia nobili genere natus, singulari erga proximum charitate excelluit; cujua virtutis pnssagium fmt, quod com adhuo in cunabulis vagi ret infans examen apum ad eum convolavit, et favum mellis in ejus dextera construxit Adolesoens parentibus orbatus, Albigensium haeresim, qu® tuno in Gallia grassabatur, execrans, divendito patrimonio, in Hispaniam secessit, et apud beatam Virginem Montis Serrati, votum, quo pridem ae obstrinxerat, exsolvit. Turn Barcinonam pergens, quum in Christi fideliDus an hostiam servitnte redimendis, omnem pecuniam consumpsisset, seipsum pro iis liberandis venumire, ant in illornm vincula auffici, cupere diotitabat.

Quam gratum Deo f uerit hoc aanoti viri deeiderium subseauens declara vit even* tus. Nam noctu oranti, et de Christianorum in captivitate degentium subsidio, mnlta animo volventi, beata Virgo apparen : Filio suo, subique acceptissimum fore suggessit, si ad aui honorem Religiosorum Ordo inatitueretur, quibus praecipue easet crura, captivos ab infidelium tyrannide liberare. Hnic ccelesti monito illico obteinperans, una cum

Peter Nolaaco was born at Recaud, near Carcassonne, in France, of noble parents. His distinguishing virtue was the love of his neighbour, which seemed to be presaged by this incident that when he was a babe in his cradle, a swarm of bees one day lighted upon him, and formed a noney-comb on his right hand. He lost hit parents early in life. The Albigensian heresy was, at that time, making way in France : Peter, out of the hatred he had for that sect, withdrew into Spain, after having sold his estates. This gave him an opportunity of fulfilling a vow at our Lady's of Mount Serrat, which he had made some time previous. After this, he went to Barcelona ; and having there spent all his money in ransoming the Christian captives from the slavery of their enemies, he was often heard saying, that he would willingly sell himself to redeem others, or become a slave in the stead of any captive.

God showed him, by the following event, how meritorious in his sight was this desire. He was one night praying for the Christian captives, and deliberating with himself how he might obtain their deliverance, when the Blessed Vir-

S'n appeared to him, and told m, that he would render himself most dear to her Son and herself, if he would institute, in her honour, an Order of Religious men, who should devote themselves to the ransoming Captives from the in*

JAN. 31. ST. PETER NOLASCO. ol- sancto Ray mundo de et Jacobo Primo rege Aragoniae, de eadem Dei Genitrice ipsa nocte pr»monitis, Religionem Beatae Mariae de Mercede redemptionis captivorura instituit ; sodalibus suU quarto voto obstrictis, mapignus sub Paga- Mo- norum potentate, si pro Christianorum liberations opus fuerit fidelfl. He delayed not to f Penlow the heavenly suggestion, nafort, and instituted the Order or Our Lady of Mercy for the re a Redemption of Captives, in which he was aided by 8t Raymund of Pegnafort and James the First, King of Aragon, both of whom had, on that same night, received the mendi in like intimation from the ther of God. The Religious of this Order take a fourth vow, namely, to offer themselves as slaves to the Moors, if they can in no other way obtain the ransom of the Christians.

Having taken a vow of vir- Edito virginitatls voto, il« ginfty, he spent his whole life libatam perpetuo castitatem in the most perfect purity, servavit ratientia, humili-

He excelled in every virtue, tate, abstinentia. caaterisque especially in patience, humi- virtutibus miraoiliter eni- litv, and abstinence. He fore- tuit. Prophetiaa dono illus- told future events by the gift tris, futura praedixit, inter king James was laying siege to tiam a Mauris occupatam

Valentia, then in the posses- expugnaverit, accepta jprius sion of the Moors, he received ab eo obtinendae victorue se- assurance from the Saint that curitate. Angeli Custodis, he would be blessed with vie- ao Deiparae Virginia f re- tory. He was frequently con- quenti apparitione recreaba-

Boled with the sight of his tur. Seiuo tandem confec-

Angel Guardian and the Vir- tus, de imminent! morte being worn out with old age. incidit, sanctisque refectna he received an intimation of Sacramentia, fratres suos ad his approaching death. When charitatem erga captivos he was seised with his last cohortatus, et Psalmum, sickness, he received the holy Confitebor tibi, Doniine, in

Sacraments, and exhorted his toto corde meo. devotissime

Religious Brethren to love the recitans, ad ilia verba, Re-

Captives. After which, he demptionem misit Dominus began most devoutly to recite populo suo, spiritum Deo the Psalm, / will praise thee, reddidit, media nocte Vigi-

0 Lord, with my whole hart ; lias Nativitatds Domini, an- quae maxime celebratur : quod Jacobus rex Valen-

•Mother of God. At length, certior foetus, in morbum

CHRISTMAS. quinquagesimo sexto. Cujus festivitatem Septimus die trigesima prima Januarii celebrari praaoepit no mille8imo ducentesimo and at these words : He hath sent Redemption to his people, Alexander he breathed forth his soul into the hands of his Creator, at Christmas midnight, in the year 1256. Pope Alexander the Seventh commanded that his Feast should be kept on the thirty-first day of January.

Thou, O Jesus ! earnest to cast fire upon the earth, and thy desire is that it be enkindled in the hearts of men. Thy desire was accomplished in Peter Nolasco, and the children of his Order. Thus dost thou permit men to co-operate with thee in the designs of thy sweet mercy, and, by thus restoring harmony between man and his Creator, thou hast once more given to the earth the blessing of fraternal love between man and man. Sweet Infant J esus ! we cannot love thee, without loving all mankind ; and thou, who art our Ransom and our Victim, wiliest that we, also, be ready to lay down our lives for one another.

Thou, O Peter ! wast the Apostle and the model of this fraternal charity ; and our God rewarded thee by calling thee to himself on the anniversary of the Birth of Jesus. That sweet Mystery, which so often encouraged thee in thy holy labours, has now been revealed to thee in all its glory. Thy eyes now behold that Jesus as the great King, the Son of the Eternal Father, before whom the very Angels tremble. Mary is no longer the poor humble Mother, leaning over the Crib, where lies her Son ; she now delights thy gaze with her queenly beauty, seated as she is on a throne nearest to that of the divine Majesty. Thou art at home amidst all this glory, for heaven was made for souls that love as thine did. Heaven is the land of love, and love so filled thy heart even when on earth, that it was the principle of thy whole life.

Pray for us, that we may have a clearer knowledge of this love of God and our neighbour, which makes us like to God. It is written, that, he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and Ood in him ;l intercede for us, that the Mystery of Charity, which we are now celebrating, may transform us into Him, who is the one object of all our love during this season of grace. May we love our fellow-creatures as ourselves ; bear with them, excuse their weaknesses, and serve them. May our good example encourage them, and our words edify them ; may we comfort them and win them to the service of God by our kindness, and our charities.

Pray for France, which is thy country, and for Spain, where thou didst institute thy grand Order. Protect the precious remnants of that Order, by whose means thou didst work such miracles of charity. Console all prisoners and captives. Obtain for all men that holy Liberty of Children of Ood, of which the Apostle speaks, and which consists in obedience to the law of GocL When this liberty is in man's soul, he never can be a slave; but when the inner man is enslaved, the outward man never can be free. Oh I pray that the fetters of false doctrines and passions may be broken, and then the world will enjoy that true Liberty, which would soon put an end to tyranny, and make tyrants impossible.