The Octave Day of the Nativity

of salvation nothing but their own crime ; 1 and their guilty consoienoe makes them hire, to pull down the holy oross, the very men whom they formerly paid to set it up. The coalition of such enemies is but one more homage to thee ! 0 adorable cross, our glory and our love here on earth, save us on the day when thou shalt appear in the heavens, when the Son of Man, seated in His majesty, is to judge the world !

6 Praise and glory be to thee, 0 holy Trinity, who hast brought us all to this day's solemnity. Praise be to thee also, 0 holy Mother of God, sceptre of the orthodox faith: through thee the cross triumphs, and man is called back to heaven ; through thee the idols are overthrown, and the nations are brought to repentance.' 2 Such words as these, which the Church borrows from her doctors to close the bright octave, were doubtless sung in prophecy by the angels around the new-born babe Mary. And such, in the light of the ages since elapsed, must needs be our answer to the question so often repeated at the cradle side: What shall this child be ?

The dootrine lately laid down so magisterially by the infallible successor of St. Peter, is this: Since the days of her mortal life, when Mary was, even in this

1 Homily of the 3rd noctum ex Leon. Serm. viii. de Passione. * Lessons of the 2nd. nocturn, ex Cyrill. Alex. Horn. iv. Ephesi.

September 15

THE OCTAVE DAT OF THE NATIVITY

TIME AFTBR PBNTKC08T world, truly the Mother of the Ohuroh, the Queen of the apostles and their mistress with regard to the divine oracles ; but especially sinoe she has received in heaven an almost infinite power for dispensing the fruits of redemption: the mighty helper of the Christian people, the restorer of the world, has not oeased to prove herself the impregnable rampart of the Churoh, the solid foundation of the faith, the fountain springing from God, whenoe the rivers of divine "Wisdom pour out their pure waters, sweeping away heresy from all plaoes. 1

May so glorious a past give us confidence for the future. 'It is by Mary/ says the blessed Grignon de Montfort, 'that the salvation of the world has begun, and it is by Mary that it must be consummated. Being the way by which Jesus Christ came to us the first time, she will also be the Way by which He will oome the seoond time, though not in the same manner. Mary must shine forth more than ever in meroy, in might and in grace, in these latter times: in meroy, to bring back and lovingly reoeive the poor strayed sinners who shall be converted and shall return to the Catholic Churoh; in might, against the enemies of God, idolaters, schismatics, Mahometans, Jews, and souls hardened in impiety, who shall rise in terrible revolt against God, to seduce all those who shall be oontrary to them, and make them fall by promises and threats; and finally, she must shine forth in grace, in order to animate and sustain the valiant soldiers and faithful servants of Jesus Christ, who shall do battle for His interests. Mary must be terrible as an army ranged in battle, principally in these latter times. It is principally of these last and cruel persecutions of the devil, whioh shall go

1 Leo xiii. Encycl. Adjutricem populi Christian^ Sept. 5, 1895. on increasing daily till the reign of Antiohrist, that we ought to understand that first and celebrated prediction and curse of God, pronounced in the terrestrial paradise against the serpent: I mil put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed.

God has never made or formed but one enmity ; but it is an irreconcilable one: it is between Mary, His worthy Mother, and the devil; between the children and servants of the blessed Virgin and the children and instruments of Lucifer. Satan fears Mary not only more than all angels and men, but in some sense more than God Himself. It is not that the anger, the hatred, and the power of God are not infinitely greater than those of the blessed Virgin, for the perfections of Mary are limited ; but it is because satan, being proud, suffers infinitely more from being beaten and punished by a little and humble handmaid of God, and her humility humbles him more than the divine power. The devils fear one of her sighs for a soul more than the prayers of all the saints, and one of her menaoes against them more than all other torments.' 1

A holy priest named Nioomedes is honoured today. Th e virgin martyr St. Felioula, whose body he had buried, obtained for him in return the palm of martyrdom. Let us, together with the Churoh, implore his protection.

PRAYER

Adesto, Domine, populo Attend to thy people, 0 tuo: ut beati Nicomedis Lord, that having recourse to martyris tui merita praeclara the splendid merits of blessed

1 Treatise on the true devotion to the blessed Virgin. Translated fcy Father Faber.

TIME AFTER PKNTEC08T suscipiene, ad impetrandam misericord iam tuam semper ejus patrociniis adjuvetur. Per Dominum.

Nicomedes, thy martyr, they may ever be assisted by his patronage for obtaining thy mercy. Through &c.

Let us sing to Mary on her birthday feast this graceful sequence of the fourteenth century.

Nativitas Mariae Virginis Quae nos lavit a labe criminis

Celebratur hodie,

Dies est laetitiae: De radice Jesse propaginis Hanc eduxit Sol veri luminis

Manu Sapientiae, Templum suae gratiae. Stella nova noviter oritur Cujus ortu mors nostra moritur,

Evae lapsus jam restituitur

In Maria: Ut aurora surgens progreditur,

Sicut luna pulchra describitur,

Super cunctas ut sol eligitur

Virgo pia. Virgo Mater et virgo unica, Virga fumi sed aromatica, In te coeli mundique fabrica

Gloriatur: Te signarunt ora prophetica, Tibi canit Salomon cantica Canticorum, te vox angelica

Protestatur.

Verbum Patris processu temporis,

The Nativity of the Virgin Mary, who cleansed us from the stain of our crimes, is celebrated to-day : it a day of joy ! This is the branch produced from the root of Jesse by the Sun of true light; she is the handiwork of Wisdom, the temple of divine grace.

A new star newly rises, at whose rising our death dies; the fall of Eve is now repaired in Mary. The gentle Virgin comes forth as the rising aurora; appearing beautiful as the moon, chosen above all maidens as the sun outshines the stars.

Virgin-Mother and Virgin without peer, pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, both heaven and earth are justly proud of thee. Thee did the ancient seers prophesy; to thee sang Solomon his Song of songs; the angel's voice thy greatness did proclaim.

In course of time, the heavenly Father's "Word, in thy

Intra tui secretum corporis, In te totum et totum def oris

Simul fuit: Fructus virens arentis arboris,

Christus, gigas immensi roboris,

Noh a nexu funesti pignoris

Eripuit. Condoluit humano generi Virginalis films uteri, Accingantur senes et pueri

Ad laudem Virginis: Qui poterat de nobis conqueri

Propeccato parentum veteri, Mediator voluit fieri Dei et hominis.

0 Maria, dulce commercium Intra tuum celasti gremium, Quo salutis reis remedium

Indulgetur: O vera spes et verum gaudium,

Fac post vitro prsesentis stadium, Ut optatum in coelis bravium Nobis detur. Amen. chaste body took up his abode, at once wholly within, wholly without. Christ, the fair fruit of an un watered tree, the giant of immeasurable strength, has freed us from the bond of the fatal pledge.

The Son of a Virgin Mother has taken pity on the human race: then let old men and children be prompt to praise the Virgin. *He who might well have spoken against us for that ancient sin of our first parents, chose to become the mediator between God and man.

How sweet, 0 Mary, was the secret commerce carried on within thy bosom, whereby the remedy of salvation was mercifully given to the guilty I 0 our true joy and most assured hope, grant that, after the course of this present life, we may obtain in heaven the reward we so desire. Amen.