September 1 — Saint Laurence Justinian

upon the apostolic strength. A people justly proud of so many irreproachable heroes, could not allow itself to be long led astray by a false liberty kept up by Jewish gold, and extolled by all the enemies of the country's traditions. Martin watches together with thee over the land of his birth ; and the sovereign of Hungary, the august Queen of heaven, will not suffer her loyal subjects to listen to the proposals of the infernal spirit.

September 5 SAINT LAUEENCE JUSTINIAN

BISHOP AND CONFESSOR

'Come, all ye who are drawn by the desire of unchangeable good, and who seek it in vain in this passing world; I will tell you what heaven has done for me. Like you, I onoe sought with feverish eagerness; and this exterior world could not satisfy my burning desire. But, by the divine grace, whioh fed my anguish, at length she, whose name I then knew not, appeared to me, more beautiful than the sun, sweeter than balm. As she approached, how gentle was her countenance, how peaoe-inspiring her voioe, saying to me: "0 thou, whose youth is all full of the love wherewith I inspire thee, why dost thou thus pour out thy heart? The peace thou seekest by so many different ways, is with me; thy desire shall be amply fulfilled, I promise thee, if only thou wilt take me for thy bride." I acknowledge that at these words my heart failed, my soul was all pierced with the dart

TUfS AFTBR PBNTB006T of her love. As I wished to know her name, her dignity, her origin, she told me she was oalled the Wisdom of God ; and that, at first invisible in the bosom of the Father, she had taken of a mother a visible nature, in order to be more easily loved. Then, with great delight, I gave my oonsent; and she, kissing me, departed full of joy. Ever sinoe then, the name of her love has been growing within me, absorbing all my thoughts. Her delights endure for ever ; she is my well-beloved bride, my inseparable companion. Through her, the peace 1 once sought is now the cause of my joy. Hear me then, all of you: go to her in like manner; for she makes it her happiness to reject no one.' 1

Let us read the history of him, who in the foregoing lines has given us the key to his life.

Laurentius, ex illustri Justinianorum familia Venetiis natus, eximiam vel puer morum gravitatem prae se tulit. Exacta inter pietatis officia adolescentia, ad castum Yerbi et animse connubium a divina Sapientia invitatus, de religiosae vitae instituto capessendo deliberarecoepit. Novae itaque militise clam proludens, praeter alias corporis afflictationes, super nudos cubabat asseres, sedensque velut arbiter hinc inter saeculi blandimenta, paratasque a matre nuptias, lllinc claustrales inter austeritates, oculis in Christi patientis crucem conversis: Tu, inquit, es Domine spes

Laurence was born at Venice of the* illustrious family of the Justiniani, and while still a child was remarkable for the seriousness of his character. He spent his youth in exercises of piety, and then being attracted by divine Wisdom to the chaste espousals of the Word and the soul, he began to think of embracing a religious state. As a prelude to this new warfare, he secretly undertook many bodily austerities, such as sleeping upon bare boards. Sitting, as it were, as judge, he placed the pleasures of the world and the marriage prepared for him by his mother on the one hand, and on the other the austeri-

1 Laurent. Justinian. Fasciculus atnoris, cap. xvi. mea: ibi posuisti certissimum refugium tuum: ad canonicorum sancti Georgii in Alga congregationem convolavit: ubi novis excogitatis cruciatibus acrius in seipsum, veluti in hostem infensissimum, instaurans bellum, nullam adeo sibi oblectationem indulgebat, ut ne in domesticum uraquam hortum, nec in paternam quidem domum, nisi cum morienti matri extrema pietatis officia siccis oculis persolvit, exinde intraverit. Par erat obediential, mansuetudinis, ac prsecipue humilitatis studium, cum abjectissima quaeque coenobii munia sibi ultro desumeret, celeberrima per urbis loca, non tarn victum quam ludibria emendicaret, illatasque contumelias ac calumnias immotus ac silens perferret: assidue prosertim orationis subsidio, qua saepe per mentis excessum rapiebatur in Deum; tantoque cor ejus aestuabat ardore, ut nutantes etiam sod ales ad perseverantiam ac Jesu Christi amorem inflammaret.

Ab Eugenio quarto patriae episcopus designatus, o^uem magna contentione ties of the cloister ; then casting his eyes on an image of Christ crucified, he said: 4 Thou, O Lord, art my hope: there thou hast placed thy most secure refuge/ and he betook himself to the congregation of Canons of St. George in Alga. Here he invented fresh torments, and waged war with even more vehemence than before, against himself, as if against his greatest enemy. So far from allowing himself the least gratification, he would never set foot in the garden belonging to his family nor in his paternal home, except when without a tear he performed the last offices of piety towards his dying mother. He was equally zealous in the practice of obedience, meekness, and especially of humility. He would choose of his own accord the humblest duties of the monastery, and begged his bread in the most crowded parts of the town, seeking rather mockery than alms. He bore insults and calumnies unmoved and in silence. His great support was assiduous prayer, wherein he was often rapt in God in ecstasy. The love of God burnt so brightly in his heart that it kindled a like ardour in the hearts of his companions and encouraged them to perseverance.

Eugenius IV. appointed him bishop of his native city. He made great efforts to decline

TIME AFTim PENTECOST honorem detrectaverat, majori gessit cum laude. Nam consueta vivendi ratione nihil admodum immutata, paupertatem quam semper coluerat, in monwi, supellectili ac lecto perpetuo retinuit. Modicam domi alebat familiam, quod grandem alteram sibi esse diceret, pauperes Christi significans. Quacumque adiretur hora, praasto omnibus erat, paterna omnes caritate allevabat, non renuens vel aere se alieno gravare, illorum ne inopiae deesset. Rogatus qua spe id faceret: Domini mei, qui pro me dissolvere facile poterit, respondebat. Spemautemnon confundere divina Providentia submissis inopinato subsidiis jugiter declarabat. Plura virginum monasteria construxit, quas etiam ad perfections vitae rationem sua vigilantia composuit. Matronis a saeculi pompis et ornatus vanitate revocandis, ecclesiasticaB disciplines ac moribus reformandis maximopere studuit; dignus sane qui ab eodem Eugenio gloria et decus praesulum coram cardinalibus vocaretur, et qui a Nicolao quinto ejus successore, translate e Gradensi civitate titulo, primus Venetiarum patriarcha renuntiaretur. the dignity, but when obliged to accept it, he so discharged its obligations as to win the praise of all. He changed nothing of his former manner of life, practising holy poverty, as he had ever done, in what regarded his table, his bed, and his furniture. He kept but few persons in his house or service, for he used to say that he had another large family, meaning Christ's poor. Every one had free access to him at any hour; he helped and consoled all with fatherly charity, even burdening himself with debts in order to relieve the necessitous. When he was asked on whose help he counted in such cases, he answered : 4 On my Lord's help, and he can easily pay for me.' And divine Providence always justified his confidence by sending him help in the most unexpected manner. He built many monasteries for nuns, whom he trained with great vigilance to the life of perfection. He devoted himself zealously to withdrawing the ladies of Venice from worldly pomp and vanity of dress, and to the reformation of ecclesiastical discipline and Christian morals. Thus he truly deserved the title of 4 honour and glory of prelates,' which Eugenius IV. applied to him in presence of the cardinals. Nicholas V. the next Pope, tran&Jated the Patri-

Lacrimarum dono insignitus, omnipotenti Deo placationis hostiam quotidie offerebat. Quod cum aliquando nocte Domiuicaa Nativitatis perageret, Christum Jesum sub pulcheirimi infantis specie videre promeruit ; tantumque in eo erat commissi gregis presidium, ut ccslitus aliquando acceptum f uerit, pontificis sui intercessione ac meritis stetisse rempublicam. Prophetiae spiritu afflatus, plura humanae cognitioni prorsus impervia praedixit: morbos ac daemones suis precibus saepe fugavit: libros etiam coelestem doctrinam ac pietatem spirantes, grammaticae pene rudis, conscripsit. Denique cum lethalem incidisset in morbum, et commodiorem domestici lectum seni atque aegro pararent, aversatus ejusmodi delicias, tamquam a durissima morientis Domini sui cruce plus nimio abhorrentes, consueto in stramine se jussit deponi, et finem vitae suae adventare praenoscens, sublatus in coelum oculis: Venio, inquit, ad te, o bone Jesu ; ac die octava januarii obdormivit in Domiuo. Pretiosam ejus mortem testati sunt angelici archate from the See of Grado to that of Venice, and proclaimed him first Patriarch.

He was honoured with the gift of tears, and daily offered to almighty Grod the Victim of propitiation. Once when saying Mass on the night of our Lord's Nativity he saw Christ Jesus under the form of a most beautiful Infant. Great was his care for the flock entrusted to him; and on one occasion it was revealed by heaven that Venice owed its safety to its pontiff's prayers and merits. Filled with the spirit of prophecy, he foretold many events which no human mind could have foreseen ; while his prayers often put the devils to flight and healed diseases. Though he had made but little study of letters, he wrote books full of heavenly doctrine and piety. When his last illness came on, his servants prepared a more comfortable bed for him on account of his sickness and old age; but he, shrinking from such a luxury which was too unlike his Lord's hard death-bed, the cross, bade them lay him on his usual couch. Knowing the end of his life had come, he raised his eyes to heaven, and saying * I come to thee, O good Jesus!' he fell asleep in the Lord on the eighth of January. The holiness of his death was at-

TIME AFTBB PENTECOST coocentus, a Carthusianis tested by angelic harmonies quibusdam monachis auditi, beard by several Carthusian et sacrum cadaver per duos monks; as also by the state of ultra menses inhumatum, his body, which during the suavi fragrans odore, et ru- two months that it lay un- beecente facie, integrum at- buried, remained whole and que incorruptum, ac nova incorrupt, of a lively colour post mortem patrata mira- and breathing a sweet fra- oula: quibus permotus grance. Other miracles, worked

Alexander octavus Pontif ex after his death, also gave maximus eum sanctorum proof of his sanctity ; on which numero adscripsit. Inno- account, Pope Alexander VIII. centius vero duodecimus enrolled him among the saints, quintam septembris diem, Innocent XII. assigned for his qua vir sanctus ad pontifi- feast the fifth of September, ciam primo cathedram fue- on which day the holy man rat evectus, celebrando illi- had been raised to the pontifical us festo assignavit. dignity.

• 0 Wisdom, who sittest on Thy lofty throne ; 0 Word, by whom all things were made, be propitious to me, in this manifestation of the secrets of Thy holy love.' 1 Such, 0 Laurence, was thy prayer, when, fearing to be responsible for the hidden talent, if thou shouldst keep to thyself what might profit others, thou didst resolve to make known august mysteries. We thank thee for having given us to share in these heavenly secrets. By the reading of thy devout works, and by thy intercession with God, draw us to the heights of holiness, like the purified flame which can but mount upwards. Man falls from his inborn nobility if he seeks rest in aught save Him to whose image he is made. All things here below are reflections of God's eternal beauty ; they teach us to love Him, and help us to sing our love.'

What delights were thine, on those lofty summits

1 J>$ ea*U eonnubio Verbi et animce. Proxmium. * Ibid, cap. i. &xxy. of oharity so nigh to heaven, which are to be reaohed by the paths of truth, i.e. the virtues. It is indeed thy own portrait thou drawest, when thou sayest of the soul admitted to ineffable intimacy with the Wisdom of the Father: ' All things are profitable to her ; which way soever she turns, she perceives but the gleams of love. Sights and sounds, sweetnesses and perfumes, delicate viands, concerts of earth, brightness of the skies: all that she hears, all that she sees in the whole of nature, is a nuptial harmony, the beauty of the banquet wherein the Word has espoused her/ 1 Oh! may we walk, like thee, by the light of God, live in desire and in union, love ever more and more, that ever more and more we may be loved !

1 De casto connubio VerH et anitna, cap. xxv.