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Show Story of tbe Rosary. Tale in Dialogue Enabling One to Follow the Mysteries with Devotional Interest. Georgiana Fell Curtis in Rosary Magazine. Part I, published last week, described de-scribed a tired traveler halting at the. door of a monastery, where he asked for shelter. This was readily obtained. During the night the traveler was invited in-vited by the abbott to attend a weekly rosary service peculiar to their order. He was conducted to the refectory where the abbot and monks assemble for pious conversation and study. Here, also, he found the bishop, who was making his annual visit. After reciting recit-ing the rosary, the bishop asked the abbot and monks assembled to give an i account of each, mystery and the lesson les-son taught in its meditation. Accordingly Accord-ingly the abbot and monks declaimed what they learned through contemplation contempla-tion of the five Joyful Mysteries. They now proceed to the next five, or Sorrowful Sor-rowful Mysteries. Ed. L M. C PART II. SORROWFUL MYSTERIES. MYS-TERIES. The Bishop In the Joyful Mysteries we have followed our Lord and His Holv Mother in the hidden life at Nazareth. Naz-areth. We come now to the public life of His three years' ministry: and to the five Sorrowful Mysteries. What think vou. Rev. Father, do we see in the first Mystery, the Agony in the Garden? . , The Abbot It is night in the Garden of Gethsemane. The sky is enveloped in black clouds. The wind whistles through the cypress and olive trees, so that their branches bend and sway In the breeze. All nature seeems mourning mourn-ing with the Lord of all. I see Him kneeling apart from His disciples, who are slumbering heavily. I hear His prayer "Father, if it be possible let this chalice pass from Me nevertheless neverthe-less not My will but Thine be done. I behold His fear and agony, and His fervor in prayer. Human comfort has abandoned Him in this dark hour, heavenly comfort seems far off. His Divine Face is drawn with pain and faintness, and in the countenance of this "Man of Sorrows" we learn how-great how-great was the sin of the world that could cause such suffering. The Bishop Recount, my brethren, what we learn from this Sorrowful Mystery. First Monk It teaches me perseverance persever-ance in prayer, and patience in afflic tion. M , Second Monk And to me, watchfulness watchful-ness over self not to slumber or sleep, not to weary in well-doing. Third Monk I learn sorrow for sin, to cling to God, and to follow the example ex-ample of the holy saints, even in the darkest hour. Fourth Monk The lesson I learn is faith. When Christ seemed bowed under un-der the weight of his Sacred Humanity, and the fear that comes with the knowledge of approaching evil, He clung, If possible, more closely to the. Eternal Father. The Bishop Holy Mary, pray for us. Abbot and Monks Holy Mother of God, pray for us. The Bishop What see you. Rev. Father, In the second Sorrowful Mystery Mys-tery the Scounrinjr at the Pillar? The Abbot I behold the judgment hall of Pontius Pilate. It is the hour of terce. and sentence has been passed on our Divine Lord. All around are cruel men anxious to heap pain and ignominy on Him. They lead Him to a stone pillar pil-lar in the hall where only malefactors and criminals have ever been punished. He, so meek and silent, is bound to the iron rings of the pillar. He has been stripped of most of His garments, and stands there, ready to allow these cruel men to do their will. Two of them approach, and standing, one on His right hand, the other on His left, raise their arms and let the lash descend on His shoulders and back in heavy, stinging sting-ing blows. Faster and faster they ply the lash, and still He utters no complaint. com-plaint. His flesh is torn and bleeding, His eyes are suffused with blood, "and still He opens not His mouth." At the other end of the hall, kept back by armed men, I behold the disciples and Holy Mary- How can they endure that hour? Each blow pierces their hearts, and they cry aloud to God to have mercy mer-cy and to spare. The Bishop Recount to us. beloved brethren, what this Mystery teaches. First Monk I learn patience, endurance endur-ance of evil, even when it is pain or suffering that is not deserved. Second Monk I learn the pardon of sins, even as we are sure that our Divine Di-vine Lord forgave His tormentors. Third Monk The lesson brought home to me is the mortification of the flesh. If He, who was purity itself, had to endure such cruel scourging, how much more is it deserved by us who labor under the stain of mortal sin. The Bishop Holy Mary, pray for us. Abbot and Monks Holy Mother of God. pray for us. The Bishop Tell us. Reverend Father, Fath-er, what you see in the third Sorrowful Sorrow-ful Mystery, the Crowning with Thorns. The Abbot I behold our Blessed Savior Sa-vior in the guard room, surrounded bv soldiers. He is faint with pain and anguish, and loss of blood. His eyes are sunk in His head. His form bowed down. His beautiful face pale with suffering. suf-fering. It is difficult, now. to recognize in Him the Son of Mary whose beauty was the counterpart of hers, and I yet He seemed more than ever I a king. The soldiers draw j near, and place on His delicate brow a crown of thorns. It pierces His llesh causing intense pain, but how much deeper is the indignity offered to His tender heart. They mock Him and bow down before Him saying. "Hail, King of the Jews," "and still He opens not His mouth." The Bishop What see you, my brethren, breth-ren, in this sad Mystery? First Monk I learn from the conduct of the meek Savior in this hour of bitter bit-ter trial, the grace of true humility. Second Monk I learn how cruel the world can be, and that we must pray fervently against the sins of pride, selfishness, and of indifference to suffering suf-fering in others, and that rank and wealth do not always make the royal state, else God would not have allowed His Kingly Son to suffer such shame and torment. The Bishop Holy Mary, pray for us. Abbot and Monks Holy Mother of God. pray for us. The Bishop And now. Reverend Father, what behold you in the fourth Sorrowful Mystery, the carrying of the Cross '.' The Abbot I see the holy city, Jerusalem, Jeru-salem, where all nature is fair and beautiful. Along the Via Crucis I behold be-hold a motley crowd. The Savior of the world is bearing His Cross to Cavalry. He can scarcely stand or walk; and fearing that He may die before He reaches the place of execution, the soldiers sol-diers summon Simon of Uyrene and liVr the Cross on him "that he may bear it after Jesus." The meek Savior stumbles and falls again and again on His journey: yet still He finds strength to address the women of Jerusalem, and to give a blessing to holy Veronica, Veron-ica, as she steps forward full of compassion, com-passion, to wipe the dust and blood from His face. I see the Holy Mother whose heart Is pierced with a sword as she follows her Divine Son, unable in that hour to save Him, as she would fain do, from all sorrow and pain. She hears the mocking of the multitude, and her heart faints with anguish for her child. The Bishop Recount to us, my brethren, what this great Mystery-teaches. Mystery-teaches. First Monk It teaches me the great lesson that we must bear the cros for Jesus, and with Jesus. Second Monk And to me It speaks of the inexhaustible patience of God. The overpowering, love for us that could nerve Him to follow that dolorous dolor-ous way of the Holy Cross in order that we might tread it after Him. Third Monk I learn to ask pardon I for my sins, and to seek to cheer and I comfort others on life's journey, even j a3 the Lord Christ comforted the wo- j men of Jerusalem. The Bishop Holy Mary, pray for us. Abbot and Monks Holy Mother of God, pray for us. The Bishop And now. Reverend Father, Fa-ther, what see you in the fifth Sor I rowful Mystery, the Crucifixion? I The Abbot I behold that last and ' most stupendous act of Christ's suf- J ftring for us. I see Golgotha and the wood of the cross, xne say is aarK-ened. aarK-ened. the air is cold and bleak. A great multitude of men, women and children, Roman soldiers, Jewish Rab-bies Rab-bies and merchants, besides malefactors malefac-tors and criminals, crowd together above and below the hill of Calvary. I see the disciples and holy women, and at the foot of the cross is Holy Mary with Mary Magdalene and St. John. Above these faithful three are three others, the good thief and the unrepentant malefactor; and between them. (O, God that it should be!) is our Divine and Suffering Lord. I hear those seven last words that fall from His parched lips. I see Him bend His dying head, as drop by drop the blood flows from His wounds. I see. as it were. His first as it will be His last appeal ap-peal to the unbelieving world the love of His adorable and stricken Heart that the lance has pierced; though far deeper was it pierced by the syi of the world and thengratltude of man. The Bishop-tecount to us. beloved brethren, what this most Sorrowful Mystery teaches. First Monk It teaches me above all, and beyond all; that God is Love for "greater love hath no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his brethren." Second Monk It teaches me detachment detach-ment from the world, the vanity and nothingness of this mortal life. Third Monk And to me it speaks of repentance while yet there is time, and that for Christ we must die daily; it teaches of the mortification of evil passions, the forgiveness of our enemies: en-emies: and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Fourth Monk I learn that love is like a stone cast in the water that causes ever-widening circles. In all His agony on the Cross our adorable Lord thought of His blessed Mother and St. John. For all time He gave His holy Mother to us; and for all time He teaches us from the rood of the Cross to love and care for the sorrowful, sorrow-ful, the suffering: and for all depending depend-ing on us. The Bishop Holy Mary, pray for us. Abbot and Monks Holy Mother of God, pray for us. (To be continued.) |