What was it? A human body and soul specially prepared by GOD to be the Tabernacle where His Son should rest--a body, we may well believe, more than usually beautiful, for that body from which He that was "fairer than the sons of men" was to take flesh, must needs be fair too. "Thou art _all_ fair." But it was the _soul_ which made the Tabernacle holy. Here the preparation had been special and unique. Mary's soul had a beauty all its own, for neither original sin nor any of its effects had ever touched it. Not only was it sinless, as my soul was after Baptism, but, instead of being prone to evil, it was upright, and ever aspiring after good. Never once was there a wilful imperfection in Mary's soul. It is probable, too, that her understanding was enlightened, and that she had the full use of reason from the moment of her Conception, that is, from the moment when her body and soul were joined together. In her will there was no weakness, it was in perfect conformity with GOD'S Will; and in her heart there was no concupiscence. Her body, too, shared in this wondrous liberty, for it knew neither sickness nor corruption. But are we not making Mary almost equal with her Son? No, for the gulf between them is that between the Creator and the creature. Could any gulf be wider? Her Son was GOD, and was impeccable _by nature_. Mary was impeccable _by grace_. Mary was sinless because GOD her Creator chose to make her so, so that at the moment of her conception He was able to say: "Thou art all fair--there is no spot in thee." Such was "the Holy Tabernacle prepared from the beginning." And Mary is my model! Does it seem impossible? Does it almost weary me to have such perfection given me to copy? Let me answer my question by another: _Could_ GOD do otherwise? Would it be worthy of Himself if He were to give me anything less than a _perfect_ copy? If for our pupils, who are studying merely things of time, we seek ever the best models, can we expect GOD, Who is training for eternity, to give His pupils a copy that is less than perfect? And the task need not discourage us. GOD is not a hard master expecting to reap where He has not sown. He does not expect more than He has given; He does not expect perfection; but He does expect generous efforts. He does expect fidelity, and correspondence to the grace He has given. It was her constant perseverance in these virtues which kept Mary always full of grace and pleasing to GOD, not the privilege of her Immaculate Conception.