";
"Prayer of Resignation to Death"; "Prayer for Those in their Agony"--I
cannot bear to read them, hardly to list them. I remember standing in
a cathedral "somewhere in France" during the celebration of some
special Big Magic. There was brilliant white light, and a suffocating
strange odor, and the thunder of a huge organ, and a clamor of voices,
high, clear voices of young boys mounting to heaven, like the hands of
men in a pit reaching up, trying to climb over the top of one another.
It sent a shudder into the depths of my soul. There is nothing left in
the modern world which can carry the mind so far back into the ancient
nightmare of anguish and terror which was once the mental life of
mankind, as these Roman Catholic incantations with their frantic and
ceaseless importunity. They have even brought in the sex-spell; and
the poor, frightened soldier-boy, who has perhaps spent the night with
a prostitute, now prostrates himself before a holy Woman-being who is
lifted high above the shames of the flesh, and who stirs the thrills
of awe and affection which his mother brought to him in early
childhood. Read over the phrases of this "Litany of the Blessed
Virgin":

Holy Mary, Pray for us. Holy Mother of God. Holy Virgin of
Virgins. Mother of Christ. Mother of divine grace. Mother
most pure. Mother most chaste. Mother inviolate. Mother
undefiled. Mother most amiable. Mother most admirable.
Mother of good counsel. Mother of our Creator. Mother of our
Savior. Virgin most prudent. Virgin most venerable. Virgin
most renowned. Virgin most powerful. Virgin most merciful.
Virgin most faithful. Mirror of justice. Seat of wisdom.
Cause of our joy. Spiritual vessel. Vessel of honor.
Singular vessel of devotion. Mystical rose. Tower of David.
Tower of ivory. House of gold. Ark of the covenant. Gate of
heaven. Morning Star. Health of the sick. Refuge of sinners.
Comforter of the afflicted. Help of Christians. Queen of
Angels. Queen of Patriarchs. Queen of Prophets. Queen of
Apostles. Queen of Martyrs. Queen of Confessors. Queen of
Virgins. Queen of all Saints. Queen conceived without
original sin. Queen of the most holy Rosary. Queen of Peace,
Pray for us.

#Thanksgivings#

For another five cents--how cheaply a man of insight can obtain
thrills in this fantastic world!--I purchase a copy of the "Messenger
of the Sacred Heart", a magazine p