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Y7ir IVjary. 
“The Rose in which the Word Divine 
Became incarnate.” 
— Dante. 
“Mystical Rose.” 
“Mystical Eose, unfading Blower, 
Sure refuge of the unconsoled.” 
—An English Poet. 
1 ARY is appropriately called “Mystical Rose,” which title is full of 
meaning, for in a spiritual sense we see in her everything that is 
found in roses, namely, sharp thorns, green leaves and sweetscented flowers. 
The thorns are symbolic of the sufferings and tribulations of life. 
In this sense Mary can very well be compared to a rose; for, notwithstand¬ 
ing her original innocence, she always trod thG path of suffering. 
The rose has green leaves which are valuable inasmuch as they are 
an ornament to the rose. Such green leaves we find also in Mary, the 
Mystical Rose. The green leaves are a symbol of hope, which we place in 
Mary because of her most powerful intercession at God’s throne; for the 
green color is universally considered a symbol of hope. And Mary is our 
Hope' —our Hope in life , and our Hope in death. It is for this reason 
that we daily ask her to pray for us now and at the hour of our death. 
“When my eyes are slowly closing, 
And I fade from earth away, 
And when Death, the stern destroyer, 
Claims my body as his prey,— 
Claim my.soul, and then, sweet Mary, 
Ora pro me!” 
—Adelaide Procter. 
