"O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." Pray that I, who with all a child's love and admiration desire to copy my Mother, may never be discouraged, but may go on, ever aiming at perfection, and never surprised at the want of it; full of faults and failings always, but full, too, of love and confidence and conformity to GOD'S Will. So shall I one day, with my Mother's prayers and help, be presented "spotless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." (Jude 24.) _Colloquy._ "O GOD, Who by the Immaculate Conception of a Virgin didst prepare a worthy habitation for Thy Son, we beseech Thee that Thou, Who through the foreseen death of Thy same Son didst preserve her from all stain of sin, wouldst grant also to us through her intercession to come pure to Thee." (_Collect for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception._) _Resolution._ To strive to copy my model. _Spiritual Bouquet._ "Be diligent, that ye may be found undefiled and unspotted to Him in peace." (2 Peter iii. 14.) Mary's Birthday "_In me is all grace._" (Ecclus. xxiv. 25.) _1st Prelude._ A picture of Our Lady's Nativity. St Anne is holding up her babe, just swaddled, and offering it to GOD; the nurse is waiting to put the little one in its cradle. St Joachim is coming into the room. A Dove is hovering over the babe's head. Angels are looking on. _2nd Prelude._ Grace to look on with the Angels, and try to understand. _Point I._--THE ANGELS What does it all mean? Why are the Angels so full of interest? Was the birth of this little one so different from any other? It was indeed miraculous, but Joachim and Anne were by no means the only ones thus favoured. No, there is something beyond this which is engaging the interest of the Angels. They see in this little babe, whom Anne is offering to GOD, a sight to make them wonder and adore--they see a soul which has never been touched by original sin. They had seen Adam created in grace; they had seen Jeremias, and later would see John Baptist, both spotless from their birth, but spotless because they had been _cleansed_ from original sin before birth. In these souls, however, they saw no more than they see in each little soul as it leaves the baptismal font, grace having taken the place of original sin. But in Mary they see a sight which they have never seen before--a soul whose sanctity surpasses that of angels and of men, a soul which will glorify GOD more perfectly than any other creature ever has done, or will do. No wonder the Angels are lost in admiration! They have known about the Incarnation ever since the War in Heaven; now they see one of the steps by which it was to be accomplished. They see the "tabernacle prepared," and at its side they will never cease to wonder and praise GOD, as long as that pure soul stays in this land of exile. _Point II._--THE BABE