inary would be jealous of our admiration for the beautiful rose, whose
opening petals and rich color and delicious fragrance are the fruit of his
beneficent rays.

Hence in uniting Mary's praise with that of Jesus we are strictly
imitating the sacred Text. We are imitating Joachim, the High Priest, and
the people of God in Bethulia, who unite the praises of Judith with the
praises of Jehovah.

We are imitating the sacred writer of Ecclesiasticus who, after extolling
God for His mighty works, sounds the praises of Enoch and Noe, of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, of David and Josiah, of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and other
Kings and Prophets of Israel.

We are imitating Elizabeth, who exclaimed in one breath: "Blessed art thou
(Mary) among women and blessed is (Jesus) the fruit of thy womb."

And as no one ever suspected that the encomiums pronounced on Judith and
the virtuous Kings and Prophets of Israel detracted from God's honor, so
neither do we lessen His glory in exalting the Blessed Virgin. I find
Jesus and Mary together at the manger, together in Egypt, together in
Nazareth, together in the temple, together at the cross. I find their
names side by side in the Apostles' and the Nicene Creed. It is fitting
that both should find a place in my heart, and that both names should
often flow successively from my lips. Inseparable in life and in death,
they should not be divorced in my prayer. "What God hath joined together,
let not man put asunder."

II. Is It Lawful To Invoke Her?

The Church exhorts her children not only to honor the Blessed Virgin, but
also to invoke her intercession. It is evident from Scripture that the
Angels and Saints in heaven can hear our prayers and that they have the
power and the will to help us.(260) Now, if the angels are conversant with
what happens on earth; if the Prophets, even while clothed in the flesh,
had a clear vision of things which were transpiring at a great distance
from them; if they could penetrate into the future and fortell events
which were then hidden in the womb of time, shall we believe that God
withholds a knowledge of our prayers from Mary, who is justly styled the
Queen of Angels and Saints? For, as Mary's sanctity surpasses that of all
other mortals, her knowledge must be proportionately greater than theirs,
since knowledge constitutes one of the sources of celestial bliss.

If Stephen, while his soul was still in the prison of the body, "_saw_ the
glory of God