What care GOD took in the preparation of Mary, because she was to be the Mother of His Son! And what care He takes in His preparation of me! I, too, have always been in the mind of GOD. "From the beginning" He has prepared me to fulfil the end for which He created me. Here on earth we are very careful about the training of those who are destined to fill certain offices, and the higher the office the more careful the training. How carefully are princes of royal blood trained! How careful is the preparation of a Priest, of a Religious! But GOD has been at work at the preparation long before we begin ours, and He is training for a most important office, namely, the salvation of the soul--the end for which He created every single child of Adam. All the chequered picture of the life of GOD'S child forms a part of His preparation--all the ups and downs, and windings and turnings, and things that seemed at the time, perhaps, so useless. Mistakes and failures--even sin itself, He can, by means of the contrition which it causes, turn to good account, as He did in the cases of St Mary Magdalen, of St Peter, and of innumerable others. He knows how to bring good out of evil, and to make all work together for good to those who love Him. What have I got to do, then, in the matter? Do as Mary did, prove my love to Him by _co-operation_ in His plans for me. There must be no complaint about what He arranges. Faith must be strong enough to believe that, not only now in the present, all things are working together to enable me to fulfil the end for which GOD created me; but that in the past, too--that past which I so often allow to disturb my peace--GOD was working, and preparing me step by step for what He intended me to be. It is want of faith, really, which is often at the bottom of all my problems and difficulties. I will not believe that He forgives and forgets and brings good out of the evil. This it is which interferes in GOD'S preparation of me, and makes me unfit for the work for which He has so patiently been preparing me. Let me think to-day of Mary's perfect co-operation, and ask her to obtain for me more faith and more love. _Point II._--THE HOLY TABERNACLE