Ishall have descended out of heaven from God, there all those servants of the Lamb who have "His name in their foreheads " will see the Virgin Mother as she is, and reign with her for ever and ever; and in the light of the Bright and Morning Star, will see also in the over-shadowing of the Virgin's life on earth, as in all God's works and ways from the beginning, infinite wisdom and perfection, the just balance; and it is when man casts his finite knowledge and imperfection into one scale or the other, that the straight beam becomes inclined, one scale is lowered and the other elevated and perfect order is destroyed.

It is much in these days of anarchy and development to be members of that portion of Christ's Church which has ever regarded the Blessed Virgin as S. Elizabeth did, as the "Mother of our Lord;" a Church which has never added to, nor subtracted from

Individual members

the honour due to her.

may have done so, but England's Church never; and every true son and daughter

of that Church will join the author of

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'The Christian Year" in singing—

"Ave Maria! thou whose name

All but adoring love may claim,

Yet may we reach thy shrine.

For He, thy Son and Saviour, vows
To crown all lowly lofty brows

With love and joy like thine.

"Bless'd is the womb that bare Him, bless'd
The bosom where His lips were pressed,
But rather bless'd are they

Who hear His word and keep it well,

The living homes where Christ shall dwell,
And never pass away."

Of the life and character of the Blessed Virgin enough is revealed in Holy Scripture to make all who study the events of her life realize the truth that "to obey is better

than sacrifice." "This is the way, walk ye in it," was the command given; and to obey that command as S. Mary did, is the only way in which the daughters of England can grow more like her.

The path of obedience may seem hard at first to those who have walked in ways of their own choosing, and the flowers growing in it may seem to have no beauty and no fragrance, the voices that greet their ears when they enter the strait and narrow path may have no music for them, and they may feel the air around them grow chill; but those who enter the valley in which S. Mary walked with Jesus, will soon find that they are travelling on into light, and in that light all things become new, shadows disappear, and in the warm atmosphere of love the flowers expand and blossom into beauty, and the voices which once sounded harsh and discordant

fill the air with melody, and the heart with

joy and gladness.

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Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth," is the earnest, loving answer which springs from the heart of each true child of God when walking in the King's Highway of the Holy Cross. The yoke of Him Who trode it before them, daily becomes lighter; they feel that His commands are not grievous, and that the duties of life, however hard and irksome they may be, when fulfilled heartily and with a pure intention are changed, when the smile of God rests upon them, into blessings.

Far deeper meaning attaches to every word spoken by the Saviour, than the world dreams of. Saints have not fathomed the depths or measured the heights, but the Catholic Faith embraces all, and makes all of universal application. The daughters of the Church may therefore without pre

sumption consider the words of the dying Saviour, "Behold Thy Mother," as addressed to them individually; for He had also said, "Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and my mother."

Ah, that doing of the will of God! It begins in time, and by the grace of God in the strength of that great and crowning gift, the grace of final perseverance, it never ends. Each child of God, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, goes on from strength to strength, and when this brief life is over, they who have conquered in the fight on this battle-field of earth will receive the victor's crown and sit down with the blessed Virgin at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

THE END.