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 Oh! what strife was there in the soul of this Blessed Virgin betwixt fear and love? she did vehemently desire to see her Son, but, on the other side, she durst not cast her eyes upon him in this lamentable and afflicted state. At length, when she drew nearer, these two celestial lights beheld each other, their eyes pierced each other's souls, but grief enforced their tongues to silence; notwithstanding, their hearts did mutually discourse, and the Son unto the mother said: sweet mother, why comest thou hither, my love, O my dove? thy sorrow reneweth my miseries, and my torments crucify thy soul! return, return again into thy house; this defiled company of thieves and murderers, beseemeth not thy virginal purity. These and the like words they inwardly uttered all the way until they came to the place of execution.

This day thou shalt meditate upon the mystery of the cross, and the seven words which Christ spoke upon it. Rouse up, my soul, and duly ponder this great mystery of the cross, which brought forth the fruit of satisfaction, to expiate that great loss which all mankind suffered by a tree.

Consider how, before our Blessed Saviour came to the Mount of Calvary, (to make his death more ignominious) his cruel tormentors