had the happiness of
only conversing with the Samaritan woman, or of eating at the table of
Zaccheus, or of being entertained by Nicodemus. But if we were admitted
into the inner circle of His friends--of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, for
instance--the Baptist or the Apostles, we would be conscious that in their
company we were drawing still nearer to Jesus and imbibing somewhat of
that spirit which they must have largely received from their familiar
relations with Him.

Now, if the land of Judea is looked upon as hallowed ground because Jesus
dwelt there; if the Apostles were considered as models of holiness because
they were the chosen companions and pupils of our Lord in His latter
years, how peerless must have been the sanctity of Mary, who gave Him
birth, whose breast was His pillow, who nursed and clothed Him in infancy,
who guided His early steps, who accompanied Him in His exile to Egypt and
back, who abode with Him from infancy to boyhood, from boyhood to manhood,
who during all that time listened to the words of wisdom which fell from
His lips, who was the first to embrace Him at His birth, and the last to
receive His dying breath on Calvary. This sentiment is so natural to us
that we find it bursting forth spontaneously from the lips of the woman of
the Gospel, who, hearing the words of Jesus full of wisdom and sanctity,
lifted up her voice and said to Him: "Blessed is the womb that bore Thee
and the paps that gave Thee suck."

It is in accordance with the economy of Divine Providence that, whenever
God designs any person for some important work, He bestows on that person
the graces and dispositions necessary for faithfully discharging it.

When Moses was called by heaven to be the leader of the Hebrew people he
hesitated to assume the formidable office on the plea of "impediment and
slowness of tongue." But Jehovah reassured him by promising to qualify him
for the sublime functions assigned to him: "I will be in thy mouth, and I
will teach thee what thou shalt speak."(212)

The Prophet Jeremiah was sanctified from his very birth because he was
destined to be the herald of God's law to the children of Israel: "Before
I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother I knew thee, and before thou
camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee."(213)

"Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost,"(214) that she might be worthy
to be the hostess of our Lord during the three months that Mary dwelt
under her roof.

John th