guage of the Preface in the Office of the Blessed Virgin, as it was formerly said in England: "It is very worthy, just, right, and salutary, that we should always and every where give thanks to Thee, O Holy Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God: and should praise, and bless, and proclaim Thee with joyful minds, in the Nativity of the Blessed and glorious Mary, ever a Virgin, who both conceived Thine only-begotten Son by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost; and, the glory of her Virginity remaining, gave the Eternal Light to this world, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Whom." "And although it may be thought sufficient," says bishop Pearson, "as to the mystery of the Incarnation, that when our Saviour was conceived and born, His Mother was a Virgin; though whatsoever should have followed after, could have had no reflective operation upon the Firstfruit of her womb, though there be no further mention in the Creed than that He was born of the Virgin Mary, yet the peculiar eminency and unparalleled privilege of that Mother, the especial honour and reverence due unto that Son, and ever paid by her, the regard of that Holy Ghost Who came upon her, and the power of the Highest Who overshadowed her, the singular goodness and piety of Joseph, to whom she was espoused, have persuaded the Church of God in all ages to believe that she still continued in the same Virginity, and therefore is to be acknowledged the Ever-Virgin Mary. As if the gate of the sanctuary in the prophet Ezekiel were to be understood of her; 'This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; D d because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut'. S. Basil remarks, that though the opinion of some heretics, who deny this, does not touch the foundation of our faith, for which it is enough that S. Mary remained a Virgin till the birth of our Lord, yet the ears of the faithful ought not to suffer any one to say that she ever ceased to be so. S. Augustin maintains that this is a point of Apostolic doctrine, following directly from her language to the angel'. We may say, with Tillemont, that the Church makes a public profession of it in the Creed, and whenever the name of the Blessed Virgin is uttered; for by no other is she so universally known. Those who denied it have always been placed by the Church among heretics. In the end of the third century, a sect arose, chiefly in Arabia, called Antidicomarianites, or "Enemies of Mary." They said that our Blessed Ladye had other sons, after the birth of the Redeemer, who are called in Scripture His brethren. In their general creed they were followers of Eunomius, the denier of our Lord's divinity, and some of them were the disciples of Apollinaris, who taught that He had not a human soul. At Rome, Helvidius defended their inventions regarding S. Mary, and was refuted by S. Jerom in a masterly treatise, which still remains unanswered by the bold impugners of her perpetual Virginity. S. Ambrose also, and S. Epiphanius, 1 Exposition of the Creed, Art. iii. This interpretation of Ezek. xliv. 2. is at least as ancient as S. Ambrose. See the whole of bishop Pearson's defence of this pious opinion. 2 S. Luke i. 34. have written expressly in its defence, and many other fathers mention it in their works as a belief which could admit of no doubt. To those who at this day are not ashamed to avow the opinion of the "Enemies of Mary," and who delight to represent the Mother of God as encircled with no greater or more mysterious sanctity than any other daughter of Eve, the Church has spoken by an ancient and universal tradition, and by the voice of innumerable teachers. And all others feel the belief in her perpetual Virginity as an instinct, which needs no proof, and is received with the intuitive certainty of a child's faith. Although the Blessed Virgin had suffered no legal defilement by the birth of the immaculate Lamb of God, yet as it became Him to fulfil all righteousness, so she would not refuse to submit to the Law which He willingly obeyed. She accordingly brought her blessed Child to the temple on the fortieth day after His birth, and presented her burnt-offering and her sin-offering as it was commanded. These were a pair of turtle-doves, for she was too poor to bring a lamb'. Then the aged Simeon was led by the Spirit into the temple, and gave thanks to God for having permitted him to see His Salvation, even the long-promised Christ. The joy of his heart found utterance in the hymn Nunc dimittis, which the Western Church sings at her Complin Office. And while S. Joseph and the Mother of the Lord " velled at those things which were spoken of Him, Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary His Mo 1 S. Luke ii. 24. mar ther, Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yea a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Anna also, the devout widow, 66 came in at that instant, and gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” S. Mary then returned, with the Child, to Bethlehem, where the wise men found her. They had been guided from the East by a star, to the place where the Lord was. And when they were come into the house," says S. Matthew, "they saw the young Child with Mary His Mother, and fell down and worshipped Him, and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh'." Herod the Great had commanded them to return to Jerusalem, and inform him of the retreat of "Him that was born King of the Jews." But God directed them homeward by another way. Herod therefore determined to cut off the mysterious Child Whose title threatened to rival his own, and gave orders that all the children in Bethlehem, from two years old and under, should be slain. But before the command was issued, the angel of the Lord appeared again in a dream to S. Joseph, and enjoined him to "take the young Child and His Mother, and to flee into Egypt." They accordingly escaped by night, and remained in that country till the death of Herod, which happened only a short time after. A prophecy of Hosea was 1 S. Matt. ii. 11. thus fulfilled, "I called My Son out of Egypt'." When Herod was dead, a heavenly messenger directed S. Joseph to return to his own land. Hearing that Archelaus was king in his father's room, he obeyed another Divine warning, and "turned aside. into the parts of Galilee," and finally came to Nazareth. From that time till the Lord was twelve years of age, the sacred history is silent regarding the holy Family. We only know that the Blessed Virgin and her husband went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. But when He was twelve years old, He went up with them, and "when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the Child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and His Mother knew not of it." They thought that He might be in the company, and went a day's journey without Him; but not finding Him then, they returned to Jerusalem seeking Him. At the end of three days" they found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions." "And when they saw Him they were amazed, and His Mother said unto Him, Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? behold Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing. And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me? wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business? And they understood not the saying which He spake unto them. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them but His Mother kept all these sayings : 1 Hosea xi. 1. 2 S. Luke ii. 41. |