of the night, Christ JESUS, our Saviour and our GOD, was born, wrapt up in swaddling clothes, and laid in the manger.

You may imagine with what pleasure our Blessed Lady took this holy infant in her arms, how carefully she nursed Him, and tried to hush His little cries, and how fervently she worshipped Him. Joseph also came and adored the little JESUS, and then Mary took her veil from her head, and wrapped it round Him, because she was so poor she had not been able to provide proper cloathing for Him. St. Joseph probably busied himself in making a little bed of straw for Him in the manger, and Mary very carefully laid him in it. In spite of all their care, however, you may easily believe that the Divine Infant suffered much, and even that He trembled with the cold; for it was the middle of winter, they had no fire, and, as I told you before, even His clothes, like those of other poor children, were not thick enough to keep warmth in His little limbs. And now I must tell you about the shepherds, who came to adore our Blessed Saviour in the manger. little distance from Bethlehem there were some very poor, but virtuous men, called shepherds, because they took care of sheep. The shepherds of that country were always obliged to watch their flocks at night, for without this precaution, the wolves, which were very numerous, would have carried some of them away and eaten them. These three shepherds were, as usual, watching their flocks, when they saw a great light which extended all over the heavens, and in the midst of the light was a troop of bright Angels, who were singing most heavenly music.

At a

The shepherds, who had never seen anything like this before, were very much afraid, but one of the Angels told them not to fear, for that on this day was born to them a Saviour at Bethlehem. He also told them to go and visit JESUS, and gave them as a sign by which they should know Him, that he was wrapped up in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. The good shepherds instantly left their flocks, and set out for Bethlehem. When they arrived there, they found the child lying in the manger, and Mary, His mother, watching close beside it. With the greatest humility they knelt down and adored the Divine Infant; then after humbly saluting Mary and Joseph, they retired full of joy, which the presence of JESUS can alone inspire. These shepherds were the humblest and poorest of the Jewish nation, and we may guess from this how very dear humility and poverty are to JESUS, since He not only permitted them to enjoy His visible presence upon earth, before the rich and the proud were aware of His birth; but He even

sent His Angel to them to tell them that He was come, and to command them to adore Him.

After our Blessed Saviour had thus revealed Himself to the Jews in the persons of these poor shepherds, He resolved, in His great mercy, to make Himself known to the rest of the world. Almighty God had sent an Angel to the shepherds, but He made the birth of JESUS known to the Gentiles (that is to the people who were not Jews), by means of a miraculous star, which appeared suddenly in the heavens. The coming of a Saviour had long been expected by the nations of the East, and as soon as the three kings who ruled over that part of the world, beheld the star, they knew that the long promised Messiah (or Saviour), was come, and with a faith which has made them the admiration of all ages, they set off on a long and dangerous journey, in order that they might worship Him in person. On their way to Bethlehem, they passed through Jerusalem, and here they made many enquiries concerning the new king of the Jews, for so they called JESUS. Now this came to the ears of Herod, a very bad man, who at that time ruled over the Jews.

Herod was very angry, for he thought this new king might, perhaps, want to take the crown from him; so he sent for the kings, and told them to seek carefully for Jesus, and when they had found him, to be sure and come back and tell him, that he also might go and worship. This wicked king only wanted to know where JESUS was, in order that he might get Him into his power, and put Him to death. The kings did not know this, so they promised to come back and tell him all about JESUS, and then the star appearing to them again they followed it until it rested first over Bethlehem, and at last over the stable where JESUS lay.

I forgot to tell you that the kings brought great treasures to offer to the Divine Infant; which in those days, it was always the custom for an inferior to do when visiting a superior, and as they brought a train of servants to attend on them, and to take care of these treasures, a very holy man tells us that the Blessed Virgin was alarmed at the noise made by the arrival of so many people; and caught her Divine Child in her arms to protect Him from danger. At the same moment the kings entered, and falling prostrate on the floor, they worshipped JESUS as their Saviour and their GOD.

Instead of being shocked at the poverty in which they found Him, they were only filled with a more tender love for the holy Infant,

weeping in the cold and suffering for their sakes; they were only inspired with a greater admiration for the wisdom of GOD, which despises the mean pride and riches of this world, and loves and seeks out those alone who are humble of spirit and meek of heart. After they had devoutly done homage to our Blessed Saviour, we may easily suppose that they began to talk to Mary about the little JESUS, asking her to tell them all about Him. This the sacred Queen of heaven did, while they addressed her with an awful respect, and she answered them with the greatest modesty, being neither forward to talk, nor desirous to be seen. And now filled with joy and consolation at the presence of JESUS, the kings prepared to make their offerings to Him in the following manner. Spreading a carpet at the feet of JESUS, they laid upon it their precious gifts, consisting of myrrh, frankincense, and gold in great abundance. Then kissing the feet of the Divine Babe, and reverently saluting his mother and St. Joseph, they took their leave and set forth from Bethlehem. You may remember that they had promised Herod to pass through Jerusalem on their way to their own country, and they were very willing to do so, as they thought Herod was sincere like themselves in his desire of adoring JESUS; but GOD prevented this by sending an Angel to them, who acquainted them with the wicked designs of the king, and bade them return home by another road which did not lead through Jerusalem.

St. Bonaventure tells us that our Blessed Lady loved poverty too well herself, and understood too well the wishes of our Divine Saviour on the subject, to keep the gold which the kings had so generously bestowed. She employed their treasures in the best manner in which riches can be bestowed. She gave them all away to the poor, and so entirely did she dispose of them in this manner, that on going a few days afterwards to present her child in the temple, she had not money enough to buy a lamb for his ransom, but was obliged to offer a pair of turtle doves for him; which was the usual offering of very poor people.

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

M. C. A.

ST. AGNES.*

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OH, MARY, CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN, PRAY FOR ME WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE."

INNOCENT lamb to JESUS dear,

Fair and purest, what dost thou here?
Dost thou not dread the tiger's rage,
As it sullenly stalks its guarded cage?
Dost thou not hear the people's cries?
Dost thou not see their vengeful eyes?
Dost thou not know the hate they bear
To virgins pure, is in that glare;
And those cries that echo of death and shame,
Are for her who avows the Christian's name?
Then, untrembling victim what dost thou here,
Mid those cries of horror and eyes of fear?

"I see the eyes that on me glare,
I hear the shouts that rend the air,
The thirsty steel, the tiger's roar
That asks another victim more,
The hate that binds me to this spot,
I feel them all, but heed them not!

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Stranger, I was a thoughtless child,
Scarce seven years had o'er me smiled,
When one who loved me true and well,
Of Christian lore would often tell;
And of that God by traitor sold,

Unlike the gods in which men glory,
Whose lives such wickedness unfold,
Makes light the crimes of mortal story.
She said that for our sins He'd slept

An infant on His mother's breast,
That in a garden He had wept

A sweat of blood to make us blest.

"My name was dear to Him, she said,
The Lamb without a spot or stain;
The Lamb that was to slaughter led,

Who suffered, and did not complain.

* There is a tradition, that at the martyrdom of St. Agnes, the blood gushed forth as white as milk, in miraculous attestation of her purity; for the other incidents in these verses see Butler's Life of the Saint, on the 21st of January.

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She said, that for our sins and pride,
Upon a shameful cross he died!

She said, His Virgin Mother fair
Beneath it stood, and saw Him there;
And then in matchless agony,'

That Mother saw Him bleed and die!"

"And canst thou wonder that I gave,
To Him who died my soul to save,
Its treasured love, and that in vain
The world did ask it back again?
And canst thou wonder that I bow
Me gladly to the headsman's blow,
And that I would not change today
The victim's place for Cæsar's sway ?"

"They tried to change me, or to move,
They tried to tempt to worldly love;
Vain love, that flourished for an hour,
To give me to the headsman's power;
Unlike His love, who died to save,-
For baffled hopes it gives the grave!

"And blessed be that Saviour dear,

Who kept me in the hour of shame, Who bade His Seraphims draw near, To robe me in their wings of flame; And who, in mercy, cast a blight Upon that hardened sinner's sight, Who dared an impious look to cast Upon His Virgin, pure and chaste."

Stranger, I was almost a child

Amid a host of hostile men,

More savage far, and far more wild,
Than lions in their tribute glen.
Yet in that dark and dreadful hour,
I felt a strange supernal power
Lift me above the trembling fear
That virgins feel when danger's near,
To that which they hold first and best,—
The chastity by JESUS blest!

"They crowded round me, and they tore
With impious hands the vest I wore ;
More dreadful far than wild beast cries,
Their horrid threats around me rise;