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 ness, who asks anything from God through her inter cession.

Still more, so great is the compassion of this tender Mother toward us, so lively her interest in our welfare, that, says St. Liguori, she grants us assistance even before we ask for it. St. Ansehn says that Mary anticipates the prayer of those who desire her protection, such is her haste to help us. Hence we may conclude that she asks of God many graces for us. even before we have asked them for ourselves. We see an instance of this in what the holy Gospel tells us of the marriage feast of Cana, in Galilee. It was not the spouses, though they were the interested parties, who asked the favor then granted by our Lord. It was Mary, who, seeing that the wine was failing, and compassionating their embarrassment, turned to her divine Son, who, at her request, wrought his first miracle.

If then Mary is so ready to help us in our need, even when she is not asked, how much more readily must she come to our assistance when we implore her aid. St. Anselm, in order to increase our confidence in her, assures us, that when we address ourselves to the Mother of God, not only may we be sure of her assistance, but our prayers will often be even more quickly and abundantly answered through the invocation of her name, than through the invocation of the name of our Lord. And let us not be startled at this assertion. " For," he says, "Jesus Christ, our Saviour, is also our Judge, and must consequently visit justice on our iniquities : while the Blessed Virgin, as our advocate and Mother, is bound to nothing but pity and affection."

DEAR Lady of Lourdes, bless me and help me. Thou, whom the saints have proclaimed so full of pity and kindness toward us, — thou, who