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Show THE LITANY OF LORETTO AND THE ROSARY. When we .say the Litany q3 Loretto, we call the Blessed Virgin by many names of. love and respect. Sometimes children find it hard to understand what some of these names- mean. The first and most beautiful title we can give to the Blessed Virgin is that of Mother "Mother of Christ," "Mother "Moth-er of Divine Grace." We call Our Lady that name, for, as Jesus is the source or fountain of grace, all graote-Hows from Him, and, through Him, from his-holy his-holy Mother. "Mother--Most Pure." "most chaste," "inviolate," "undefiled." All these? words mean that Our Lady i& absolutely spotless; not even the stain of original sin ever touched her i for a single minute. "Mother most amiable," that is, most loving and most worthy of love; "most admirable," the being whom we admire above all others. "Virgin most, venerable," vener-able," that Is, whom we venerate or respect; re-spect; "Virgin most-renowned." that is, most great, most famous; for what Christian is there in. the whole world who does not know of Our Lady's greatness? "Mirror of Justice," which means the very mirror or reflection of truth and justice; "Seat of Wisdom," for was not Our Lady taught by God himself, the fount of all wisdom? "Spiritual Vessel," i "Vessel cf Honor," "Singular Vessel of ; Devotion" all thesr? titles mean that Our Lady was like a precious, vessel, or vase, filled with honou and devotion. devo-tion. "Mystical Rose." As the rost is the queen of flowers, so is Our Lady the queen of all womerw "Tower of David." Our lady was of the house, or family, of j King David. "Tower of I Ivory," for ivory is pure white, as is the soul of the Blessed Virgin. "House of Gold," for g-old in the most Dreeio'-is of all metals, a? our Mother is the most precious of all creatures. "Ark of the Covenant." The stone table? on which God wrote Iii3 law or covenant, with his people, were the most precioun and cherished treasures of the Jews; they k&pt them in an ark of pure gold, "so that we speak cf Our Lady as the ark In which was'held our greatest treasure Jesus Christ. We like to see these titles, because when, in the Bible, the prophets spoke cf Our Lady, telling how one day thevMerelas would be born of her, they gave . her these names of praise. Then we call our lady the "Gate cf " ' " "t" - ' .in11"" i ... ., Heaven," for how can we hope to pass into paradise unless our Mother plead for us? "Morning Star" is, another namo for her. When the shipwrecked sailor see the star of morning gleaming before him, he knows that day is coming, bringing with it help and safety. Iw the same way, when our souls: re shipwrecked ship-wrecked and afraid, the thought that our Mother in heaven, is always waiting wait-ing to help us is like a star shining before be-fore us. bringing hope and comfort. "Health of the Sick." "Refuge cf Sinners." Sin-ners." "Comforter of the Sorrowful." What lovely and what true names- are these for our loving Mother! Then sh is our queero queeru of angels, of saints, and of men. "Queen conceived without original sin;" for, as you" know, Our Lady was born without even, a stain of original ein; the devil never entered, into her pure heart for one single minute. min-ute. "Queen of the most holy Rosary." for we know that the Rosary is the form of prayer most pleasing 'to Oar Lady. I am sure that you would like to hear more about the Rosary now that you know how pleasing it is to the Blessed) Virgin, so I will tell you about it. You all know what a rosary ia like. At the end there is a crucifix: then ona big bead, then three little noes; there the rest of the rosary is divided int five portions or decades, with one big head and ten little ones in each. Tho rosary is made to represent a crown or chaplet of roses, which we offer to Our Lady. On the cross it is usual to say "Ini the name of the Father, anci of the Son. and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." On the first big bead we recite the Creed, and on the three little ones three "Hail .Marys." Then begin the five decades, for each of which one "Our Father" is said on the big bead, and one "Hail Mary" on each of the little onps. At the end of each decade Is added ttio "Glory be to the Father." While we are saying the Rosary we try to meditate, that is, think about something that happened during th? life of Christ or of the Blessed Virgin. These meditations, or thoughts are arranged ar-ranged in this) way: The first five decades that is. once round the rosary are given up to joyful joy-ful thoughts: those are the five "Joyful! ' Mysteries": the "Annunciation." "Visitation." "Visi-tation." "Birth of Our Lord." "Presentation," "Present-ation," and "Finding in the Temple." You see, all these things' happened before be-fore the suffering part of Christ's life, began, while He was still with His par-entst. par-entst. The next five decades that is. thfj second time art-uncl the rosary arf! called the five "Sorrowful Mysteries." While we say therm we meditate on the Passion of Christ. His "Agony in the Garden," "Scourging at the Pillar." "Crowning with Thorns," "Carrying o the Cross," "Crucifixion." Then begin the "Glorious Mysteries," the time after the death of Jesusa. when His sufferings and His works were over: the "Resurrection," "Ascension," "Ascen-sion," "Descent, or coming down, of the Holy Ghost." the "Assumption oC Our Lady," and her "Coronation." You see. we speak of the "Ascension' of Our Lord and the "Assumption" of Our Lady. That is because Our Lord! ascended -or rose into heaven of HIa own power and will, while Our Lady, as creature, was assumed or raised, un there. God sent His angels to fetch, their Queen up to heaven to reign over; them. . If you think of all these things whilo you are saying the "Our Fathers" and! "Hoi! Vnruo " l-nil TV HI Ylt TllpPSinsT OllI Lady very much, and you will also b-a learning to meditate. . All over the world Catholics- love to honor Our Lady, and especially to honor her by reciting her favorite prayer, the "Hail Mary." During the month of October the Holy Father that is. tha Pope has ordered that five mysteries be said In every church, and he has promised special Indulgences to alt who take part in this devotion. Our Boys and Girls. |