Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/38

 Going back  further  still,  we  find  the  same  exception proving the  same  rule. In the  history  of  God's chosen  people  special  mention  is  made  of  five  women who, at  different  times,  were  the  joy  and  the  crown of their  age:  Mary,  the  sister  of  Moses  and  Aaron, who led  the  Israelites  through  the  Red  Sea,  chanting the while  her  magnificat  to  the  Lord;  Abigail,  the wife of  Nabal,  David's  enemy,  whose  eloquence  and beauty so  touched  the  king's  heart  that  he  spared  her husband and  her  people,  and  styled  her  blessed among women;  Ruth,  whom  filial  devotion  led  far from home  and  fatherland,  and  whose  faithfulness finally gained  for  her  first  place  in  her  master's  love and house;  Judith,  who  having  slain  Holofernes,  the scourge of  her  people,  was  styled  by  them  "  the Glory  of  Jerusalem,  the  Joy  of  Israel; "  and  finally Anna, the  mother  of  Samuel, — Samuel  whom  she wrung from  God  by  prayers  and  tears,  only  to  return him magnanimously  to  the  Lord. Now it  is  a  singular fact,  providential  surely,  that  the  initial  letters  of these  five  names — Mary,  Abigail,  Ruth,  Judith  and Anna, taken  in  order  spell  the  name  Maria;  spell the name  of  her  in  whom  were  focused  all  the  virtues of those  that  preceded  her  and  those  that  followed; who was  second  only  to  the  Man-God. If a  greater than John  the  Baptist  was  never  born  of  woman  in the  Old  Law,  surely,  with  the  single  exception  of Christ,  a  greater  than  Mary  was  never  born  of  woman in the  New. The painter  Zeuxis,  we  are  told,  depicted his ideal  woman  by  copying  the  various  graces  of many  models  into  one  figure,  and  ancient  mythology