Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/360

 on this  splendid  victory  were  kept  up  for  three  months. And Judith became  great  throughout  all  Israel. She died  at  an  advanced age, and  was  mourned  by  all  the  people.

The Goodness  of  God  to  His  people. The  attack  of  the  powerful Holofernes reduced  the  kingdom  of  Juda  to  a state  of  the  greatest danger. He had  already  taken  several  places,  and  if  the  strong  fortress of Bethulia  had  fallen,  the  way  to  Jerusalem  itself  would  have  been open to  him. The Temple  would  then  have  been  destroyed,  and  the whole country  conquered. Humanly speaking  all  this  must  have  happened, for Bethulia  was  suffering  from  want  of  water  and  could  not  hold  out beyond a few  days. But once  more  God  spared  for  a time  the  faithless kingdom  of  Juda;  and  brought  to  nought  the  plots  of  the  wicked Holofernes, through  the  instrumentality  of  a weak  woman. God put  it into  the  heart  of  Judith  to  slay  the  enemy  of  her  people,  and  enlightened and strengthened  her  to  carry  out  her  dangerous  undertaking. He, moreover, produced  such  a panic  in  the  Assyrian  army  and  its leaders, after  the  death  of  their  general,  that  they  completely  lost their heads,  abandoned  their  camp  in  their  confusion,  and  took  to flight  before  a mere  handful  of  Bethulians. In this  instance,  as  in  that of Goliath,  God  chose  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the strong (1  Cor.  1,  27).

Resignation to  God's  will.  The  people  of  Bethulia  believed  in  the true God,  and  had  not  been  led  away  to  serve  idols  (Judith  8,  18); still their  faith  was  not  sufficiently  enlightened,  and  their  wills  not sufficiently resigned. They “tempted”  God,  or  dictated  to  Him,  by saying:  “If  Thou  wilt  help,  help  soon;  if  Thy  help  does  not  come  in five  days,  we  shall  despair  of  Thine  assistance  and  surrender.”  Judith was right  to  blame  them,  for  it  is  not  for  us,  blind,  wretched  men,  to dictate  to  the  great  God  as  to  when  and  how  He  shall  help  us. Probably the Bethulians  expected  that  by  sending  rain  He  would  put  an end  to  the  want  of  water;  but  God  had  decided  on  saving  them  in another  way,  for  His  thoughts  are  not  our  thoughts. Let us  beware of dictating  to  God  as  to  what  way  He  is  to  help  us. We must  leave the time  and  mode  of  help  entirely  to  Him.

The virtues  of  Judith. She  was  a very  virtuous  and  a very  holy woman. Let us  see  what  virtues  she  especially  displayed  in  this  story.

a) Piety.  She  prayed  often  and  devoutly.  By  constant  communion with  God  she  learnt  to  know  Him,  and  obtained  great  confidence  in Him.  It  was  in  prayer  that  her  great  thoughts  and  resolutions  came to  her,  as  also  the  wisdom  to  carry  them  out.