| Book I, chap. 10, p. 23 verso b.“The fourth
privilege of John the Baptist was that the same angel who announced him , also
announced the Lord. And as Bernard says, the announcement [of John] was solemn
because it was made in the sacred Temple, at the time of the sacrifice, to the
high priest. But note that the Temple where Mary prayed so fervently was even
more solemn: namely the place of the Virgin was the Holy of Holies for only the
queen of angels prayed there. For in mental oblation the Virgin was, after
Jesus Christ, the greatest of all priests.” |
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Book II, chap. 5, p. 51 recto a. “The redemption of our
captivity (that is the Christ) is redeemed at a cheap price. The oblation to
God the Father is offered through the hands of the virgin; but in a very holy
mother, purity itself is purified.
See here the redemption given by God
the Father. But see also the very worthy and glorious spouse of God the Father
the blessed virgin Mary, who responds to the eternal Father with a love similar
to his own.
He says to her: “Will you give this son who is yours and
also mine?”
She replies: “Yes. The one who was given to me by
your mercy, the one whom I received from you, I will give him with my motherly
love. I will give myself also to all those to whom you have deigned to give
your son”.
In the Temple, as in a universal place, this very generous
mother, this worthy priest, universal representative, very worthy intercessor
for all of us, gives to all children of grace, her unique son. And Simeon
himself, without hesitation, accepts the gift and receives the oblation, and
foretells the mystery.” |
This text presupposes the biblical
story of the Presentation in the Temple. |
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Book II, chap. 5, p. 51 verso a. “ Oh
very happy virgin, you see, which response our advocate St Simeon gives you.
You see to what end he has received your little baby. Surely, he has received
him for the price of our redemption, through the supplication of the cross and
the pain of your bitter piercing.
Are you therefore prepared to give us
your well beloved son for this particular intention?
‘Yes’, says
the very blessed virgin, ‘I know what I am doing, I know whom I am giving,
I know what I receive. I know that I am receiving the prayers of my adoptive
children for whose expiation, whose redemption and whose healing I give my
unique son. He is the true and only “lamb who takes away the sins of the
world” (Jn 1, 29). And I, rich as I am in myself, I offer him because this
unique lamb belongs to me. I have conceived him. I have carried him in the womb
without being burdened. I have given birth to him without pain. I have
engendered the God-made-human with a perfect virginity, from the Holy Spirit.
And he is the true and only lamb who cannot be offered by anyone else except by
me, the very rich mother of all grace, in order to redeem the children of
adoption who are so poor and miserable, who are captive under the double
sighing of their pain and their faults. For this reason I have offered,
together with the true lamb, the birds that sigh, in order that the oblation of
the true lamb may take on at the same time the sighs and the pain and the
faults. See that is why I am offering you also the turtle doves.’
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