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For, Mary, the humble Virgin of Nazareth, exalted by Divine favor, of 
Immaculate Purity, and full of ardent love for God and man, ever twines 
the tendrils of her maternal care and protection around us all, cheering m 
in our sorrows and, by her powerful intercession with her Divine Son, ob¬ 
taining for us every aid we need. She is, indeed, the unfading Glory of 
womanhood, the perpetual Model of her sex. “Oh, thou, Glory of Jerusa¬ 
lem ; thou, Joy of Israel; thou, Honor of thy people!” 
Poetic lines of some of our greatest poets, in admiration of the Ever- 
Blessed Virgin-Mother of our Divine Redeemer, may well find place 
here. 
“O purest of creatures! sweet Mother! sweet Maid! 
The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid! 
Dark night hath come down on us, Mother! and we 
Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea! 
■»»*-** \ 
“He gazed on thy soul; it was spotless and fair, 
For the empire of sin it had never been there; 
None had e’er owned thee, dear Mother, but He, 
And He bless’d thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea!” 
— Faber. 
“Oh, child of the Temple! little Maid! 
With such sweet silence cloister’d round, 
What visions of light hath thy fingers stayed? 
What glorious dream thy fancy bound? 
No lily set in the crystal vase 
Is half as lovely as thy face. . 
* * * * 
“Dear Mater Admirabilis! 
E’er the high-priest leads thee forth to stand 
Where Joseph waits, ’mid the throng in peace, 
With the blossoming staff in his aged hand, 
Ah! turn from thy lilies, thy work, thy book, 
And gladden thy children by one fond look! 
