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 Christian life  and  recalling  besides  the  picture  of Joseph  breathing  his  last  in  the  arms  of  Jesus  and Mary, it  enables  us  to  realize  how  truly  blessed  in the  sight  of  God  is  the  death  of  God's  saints.

Mary, — the angel  called  her  Ave  Maria. Ave — it is  Eva's  name  spelled  backwards. Ave undid  the evils Eva  wrought. Eva filled  the  world  with  the thorns of  human  afflictions;  Mary  caused  the  flowers to reappear  in  our  land. Eva plunged  our  Nature into sin  and  death;  Mary  lifted  it  to  the  very  throne of God. Her other  name,  Maria,  spells  the  initials of Mary,  Anna,  Ruth,  Judith  and  Abigail. Like Mary, sister  of  Moses,  she  led  us  out  of  the  land  of bondage  through  the  sea  of  this  sinful  world,  herself dry-shod and  without  a  stain. The child  of  her prayers she  gave,  like  Anna,  freely  to  the  Lord. She is  that  Ruth  whose  loving  heart  recked  not  of home  nor  country,  but  only  of  her  people  and  her Lord. She is  that  Judith  who  slew  man's  bitterest foe when  she  crushed  the  serpent's  head. By her eloquent beauty  she,  like  Abigail,  so  touched  the king's heart  that  wrath  turned  to  mercy  and  he spared  her  people. Maria, — the name  is  variously interpreted. It means  first  of  all,  "  a  Queen; "  and how truly  was  she  a  queen  who  bore  and  nursed  and ruled, with  a  mother's  gentle  authority,  the  King  of kings  and  the  Lord  of  lords! Again, it  means "'Illumined/' for  Mary  is  to  the  Saviour  as  the  sun to  the  moon.  The  same  halo  surrounds  Mary  and the  Child  m  her  arms.  If  a  brief  vision  of  God  on Mount  Sinai  made  the  face  of  Moses  shine  as  the