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 they had  their  sword,  too. Books were  not to be  had. But they  took  the  beads  in  their hands, and,  trusting  in  her,  "terrible  as  an army  in  battle  array";  in  her,  "to  whom it  is  given  to  destroy  all  heresies,"  won the greatest  spiritual  victory  in  history, "the victory  of  her  faith,  which  conquered the  world." "She became  valiant in  battle,  put  to  flight  the  armies  of  foreigners," and  successfully  resisted  and  defeated the  greatest  and  proudest  nation  of the  earth.

The best  forms  of  devotion  to  Our  Lady are —  as  to  her  divine  Son  —  hearing  Mass and receiving  holy  communion  on  her  feasts or in  her  honor,  paying  visits  to  her  or  to her  shrines. One may  suggest  the  beads  or rosary  and  the  brown  scapular  —  the  first because it  was  the  conquering  sword  of  Ireland, and  because  of  the  marked  approbation and indulgences  given  to  it  by  many  of  the Sovereign Pontiffs,  and  by  none  of  them more than  by  Pope  Leo  XIII;  who  has,  we may  say,  dedicated  the  month  of  October  to this  favorite  devotion  in  honor  of  the  Mother of God. It is  also  one  of  the  oldest  forms  of devotion. While respecting  all  scapulars  approved of  by  the  Church,  I  select  the  brown, because it  is  the  oldest,  the  best  known,  and