Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/623

 our vanity  and  pride. Let the abundance  of  her  charity cover the  multitude  of  our sins, and  her  glorious  fruitfulness obtain  for  us  fruitfulness in merits. Now we  beseech thee, through  her,  first,  that

For thou  art  great,  O Lord, and exceedingly  to  be  praised; but praise  is  not  seemly  in the  mouth  of  a sinner. Therefore let our  want  and  unworthiness be  succoured  by the  Virgin  Mother  of  God,  I mean,  thy  Mother. For if the  truest  praise  is  to  be praised  by  one  who  is  himself an  object  of  praise,  what man, or  even  Angel,  would be so  well  able  to  sanctify thy Name  as  thy  most  holy Mother?

And behold,  her  soul  magnifies the  Lord,  because  thou hast done  for  her  great  things, and through  her  for  us,  for thou art  mighty,  and  holy  is thy  Name; that  from  henceforth all  generations  may  call her blessed. Let this  praise and glory  of  the  Mother  redound to  the  Son. And while the whole  Church  celebrates the name  and  the  wonders  of so  admirable  a Mother,  to  thy Name, O Jesus,  be  given  the glory, that  the  rivers  may flow to  the  place  from  whence they come,  and  flow  again more abundantly.

O Jesus, Son  of  David! who of  the  Virgin  Mary,  the Queen of  Heaven,  wert  born King of  the  Jews,  to  restore us exiles  to  thy  Kingdom,  and to be  King  over  us,  and  shalt reign in  the  house  of  Jacob for ever,  and  of  thy  Kingdom there shall  be  no  end! When it pleased  thy  royal  clemency to visit  thy  people,  from whom it  had  been  so  long  removed, this  Virgin  alone  was found worthy  that  her  virginal court  should  be  chosen by thee,  O King  of  kings, coming from  thy  kingly  palaces, to  be  thy  throne  and first mansion  among  the  sons of men! Let, then,  thy  Kingdom come  to  us,  to  make  us co-heirs  of  which  thou  enteredst  the  Virgin’s  womb,  and emptiedst thyself,  taking  the form of  a servant;  in  which it was  thy  Will  to  suffer  insults, injuries,  scourging,  and finally the  death  of  the  Cross, and so  to  enter  into  thy  glory. Destroy, O King  of  glory! the kingdom  of  sin  and  Satan, and reign  in  us  now  by  grace, that at  length  we  may  reign with thee  in  glory.

Make us,  O Lord,  promptly and cheerfully  to  obey  thy Will; and this  by  the  example of  thy  mother,  who  indeed was  agitated  by  the  unwonted spectacle  and  address of an  Angel,  but  presently yielded herself  most  readily to thy  Will,  in  saying: Behold the  handmaid  of  the  Lord: