Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/629

 and  assist  us  all  to  learn of  thee,  who  art  meek  and humble of  heart,  that  thereby  we  may  find  rest  to our  souls  in  this  life,  and  everlasting  repose  in  a happy  eternity. Amen.

BLESSED Virgin  Mary,  Mother  of  our  Redeemer! remember we  are  thy  children,  given  to  thee  by thy  Divine  Son,  when  expiring  on  the  cross. Mother of sorrows! by the  tears  which  flowed  from  thy  eyes when Saint  John  related  how  the  traitor  Judas  sold thy Divine  Son  for  the  vile  price  of  thirty  pieces  of silver; how,  in  the  Garden  of  Olives,  he  was  agonized with fear  and  sorrow,  the  blood  gushing  through every pore; by  all  the  anguish  that  overwhelmed  thy heart when  thou  didst  hear  that  Jesus,  the  only object of  thy  love,  was  condemned  to  death; by  the sorrow that  pierced  thy  maternal  bosom,  in  meeting thy only  beloved  Son  loaded  with  a heavy  cross, spent through  loss  of  blood,  fatigue  and  pain; by that  heroic  resignation  to  the  divine  will,  which, triumphing over  the  sentiments  of  nature,  sustained thee at  the  foot  of  the  cross; by  the  excess  of  grief that would  have  robbed  thee  of  life,  had  not  God preserved thee  for  the  comfort  of  his  disciples  and  of his  infant  church;  by  the  dolors  that  rent  thy desolate heart  when  beholding  thy  beloved  Jesus, most beautiful  in  his  comeliness  above  the  sons  of men,  become  a prey  to death,  the  ignominious  death