tentus Mediolanum proficiscitur atque Ticinum; et utrobique collectis agminibus puerorum tectum, victum, vestem, magistros, nobilibus viris faventibus, provide constituit. Inde Somascham redux, omnibus omnia factus, a nullo abhorrebat opere, quod in proximi bonum cedere prævideret. Agricolis immixtus per agros sparsis, dum se illis adjutorem in metendis frugibus præbet, mysteria fidei explicabat, puerorum capita porrigine foeda abstergens, et patienter tractans curabat; putridis rusticorum vulneribus medebatur eo successu, ut gratia curationum donatus censeretur. In monte, qui Somaschæ imminet, reperta specu, in illam se abdidit, ubi se flagellis cædens, dies integros jejunus transigens, oratione in plurimam noctem protracta, super nudo saxo brevem somnum carpens, sui aliorumque noxarum poenas luebat. In hujus specus interiori recessu ex arido silice exstillat aqua, precibus servi Dei, ut constans traditio est, impetrata, quæ usque in hodiernam diem jugiter manans, et in varias regiones delata ægris sanitatem plerumque conciliat. Tandem ex contagione, quæ per omnem vallem serpebat, dum ægrotantibus inservit, et vita functos propriis humeris ad sepulturam defert, contracto morbo, annos na of rescuing orphans, Jerome journeyed to Milan and Pavia, and in both cities he collected numbers of children and provided them, through the assistance given him by noble personages, with a home, food, clothing, and education. He returned to Somascha, and, making himself all to all, he refused no labour which he saw might turn to the good of his neighbour. He associated himself with the peasants scattered over the fields, and while helping them with their work of harvesting, he would explain to them the mysteries of faith. He used to take care of children with the greatest patience, even going so far as to cleanse their heads, and he dressed the corrupt wounds of the village folk with such success that it was thought he had received the gift of healing. On the mountain which overhangs Somascha he found a cave in which he hid himself, and there scourging himself, spending whole days fasting, passing the greater part of the night in prayer, and snatching only a short sleep on the bare rock, he expiated his own sins and those of others. In the interior of this grotto, water trickles from the dry rock, obtained, as constant tradition says, by the prayers of the servant of God. It still flows, even to the present day, and being taken into different countries, it often gives health to the sick. At length, when a contagious distemper was spreading over the whole valley, and he was serving the sick and carrying the dead to the grave on his own shoulders, he caught the infection, and died at the age of fiftysix. His precious death, which he had foretold a short time before, occurred in the year 1537. He was illustrious both in life and death for many miracles. Benedict XIV. enrolled him among the Blessed, and Clement XIII. solemnly inscribed his name on the catalogue of the Saints. tus sex et quinquaginta, quam paulo ante prædixerat, pretiosam mortem obiit anno millesimo quingentesimo trigesimo septimo: quem pluribus in vita, et post mortem miraculis illustrem Benedictus Decimus quartus Beatorum, Clemens vero Decimo tertius Sanctorum fastis solemniter adscripsit. With Vincent de Paul and Camillus of Lellis, thou, O Jerome Emilian, completest the triumvirate of charity. Thus does the Holy Spirit mark his reign with traces of the Blessed Trinity; moreover, he would show that the love of God, which he kindles on earth, can never be without the love of our neighbour. At the very time when he gave thee to the world as a demonstration of this truth, the spirit of evil made it evident that true love of our neighbour cannot exist without love of God, and that this latter soon disappears in its turn when faith is extinct. Thus, between the ruins of the pretended reform and the ever-new fecundity of the Spirit of holiness, mankind was free to choose. The choice made was, alas! far from being always conformable to man's interest, either temporal or eternal. With what good reason may we repeat the prayer thou didst teach thy little orphans: "Lord Jesus Christ, our "loving Father, we beseech Thee, by Thine infinite goodness, raise up Christendom once more, and bring it back to that upright holiness which "flourished in the Apostolic age." 66 66 Thou didst labour strenuously at this great work of restoration. The Mother of Divine Grace, when she broke thy prison chains, set thy soul free from a more cruel captivity, to continue the flight begun at baptism and in thy early years. Thy youth was renewed as the eagle's; and the valour which won thee thy spurs in earthly battles, being now strengthened tenfold in the service of the all-powerful Prince, carried the day over death and hell. Who could count thy victories in this new militia? Jesus, the King of the warfare of salvation, inspired thee with his own predilection for little children: countless numbers, saved by thee from perishing, and brought in their innocence to his Divine caresses, owe to thee their crown in heaven. From thy throne, where thou art surrounded by this lovely company, multiply thy sons; uphold those who continue thy work on earth; may thy spirit spread more and more in these days, when Satan's jealousy strives more than ever to snatch the little ones from our Lord. Happy shall they be in their last hour who have accomplished the work of mercy pre-eminent in our days: saved the faith of children, and preserved their baptismal innocence! Should they have formerly merited God's anger, they may with all confidence repeat the words thou didst love so well: "O sweetest Jesus, be not unto me a Judge, but a "Saviour!" SAME DAY. SAINT MARGARET, VIRGIN AND MARTYR. THIS same day brings before us a rival of the warrior martyr, St. George: Margaret, like him victorious over the dragon, and like him called in the Menæa of the Greeks, the Great Martyr. The cross was her weapon; and, like the soldier, the virgin, too, consummated her trial in her blood. They were equally renowned also in those chivalrous times when valour and faith fought hand in hand for Christ beneath the standard of the Saints. So early as the seventh century our Western Island rivalled the East in honouring the pearl drawn from the abyss of infidelity. Before the disastrous schism brought about by Henry VIII., the Island of Saints celebrated this feast as a double of the Second Class; women alone were obliged to rest from servile work, in gratitude for the protection afforded them by St. Margaret at the moment of child-birth-a favour which ranked her among the Saints called in the middle ages auxiliatores or helpers. But it was not in England alone that Margaret was invoked, as history proves by the many and illustrious persons of all countries who have borne her blessed name. heaven, too, there is great festivity around the throne of Margaret; we learn this from such trust In worthy witnesses as St. Gertrude the Great1 and St. Frances of Rome, who, though divided by a century of time, were both, by a special favour of their Divine Spouse, allowed, while still on earth, to assist at this heavenly spectacle. The ancient legend in the Roman Breviary was suppressed in the sixteenth century by St. Pius V. as not being sufficiently authentic. We, therefore, give instead some Responsories and Antiphons and a Collect, taken from what appears to be the very Office said by St. Gertrude; for in the vision mentioned above, allusion is made to one of these Responsories, Virgo veneranda.3 RESPONSORIES. Felix igitur Margarita sacrilego sanguine progenita: * Fidem quam Spiritu Sancto percepit vitiorum maculis minus infecit. V. Ibat de virtute in virtutem, ardenter sitiens animæ salutem, * Fidem. B. Hæc modica quidem in malitia, sed mire vigens pudicitia, præventa gratia Redemptoris : * Oviculas pascebat nutricis. V. Simplex fuit ut columba, quemadmodum serpens astuta. * Oviculas. B. Quadam die Odibrius, molestus Deo et hominibus, transiens visum in illam sparsit: * Mox in concupiscentiam ejus exarsit. Blessed Margaret, though born of pagan blood: * Receiving the faith by the Holy Spirit, preserved it free from stain. V. She went from virtue to virtue, ardently desiring the salvation of her soul. * Receiving the faith. B. Knowing no evil, she blossomed in purity, being prevented by the grace of our Saviour. * She tended the sheep for her foster-mother. V. Simple as the dove and prudent as the serpent. *She tended. R. Odibrius, hateful to God and men, passing one day, cast his glance upon her. * And he burned with desire of her. 1 Legatus divinæ pietatis, IV., xlv. 2 Visio xxxvi. 3 Breviarium Constantiense, Augustæ Vindelicorum, MCCCCXCIX. |